Course Correction
by Lightspeed Bubba
Summary: Fate has a funny way of bringing two people back together. A decision is made, a locker flies, and the destiny of everyone in the world of Remnant is forever changed.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: The original Destiny kinda sucked, didn't it? This is me trying to make it better. More at the bottom. Enjoy.**

The mocking ding of the elevator rang out as the doors opened. The two occupants sprinted out, continuing through the main doors to the courtyard. Jaune doubled over, begging for air to slip back into his lungs. His body was a carnival of pain and misery, battered by a tournament fight only a few days prior and hours upon hours of killing Grimm and protecting civilians. He couldn't afford to take time to rest and gather his thoughts though, as there wasn't any. They had to do something, Ozpin said he would handle the woman in the basement, but a nagging feeling in his gut told him otherwise.

He knew his partner couldn't be doing much better than he. She'd just come out of a grueling match against Penny Polendina, who had turned out to be an android, that ended in her grisly death. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people watched her be ripped apart by the wires that held her weapons to her body. Then that woman gave a rousing speech about who the public could trust over the loudspeaker. If that wasn't enough, a full-scale Grimm invasion occurred immediately after. It made the Breach of Mountain Glen look like a trickle compared to a tidal wave. To make matters worse, White Fang terrorists were moving into Vale and Beacon as well, slaughtering the civilians, Faunus and human alike. They had to do something; someone had to know what was going on, right?

Jaune dug his Scroll from his pocket, hands trembling, and sifted through his contacts. He paused on Professor Goodwitch's number, initiating a call. She would know what to do. Nothing happened. Something was wrong, the call wasn't going through so he tried again. Still nothing. He looked down to another number and tried that one. Same result. _What the hell is going on?_ Were communications being blocked? Had the CCT been overrun already?

Whatever the case, it seemed that they wouldn't be calling for help anytime soon. If Jaune were to bet, he'd say the woman fighting Ozpin in the basement was responsible. The cold, pragmatic side of his mind applauded the idea. Make it so there would be no reinforcements and send everything they had at them. In theory, the victory would be decisive. He promptly stuffed that part of his head into a box, stomped on it a couple of times, and kicked it off a cliff. His eyes found his partner; her gaze was fixed squarely on the door they'd exited from. Pyrrha seemed to know something and he needed answers.

"Pyrrha, what was all that?" The events that occurred in the basement replayed in his mind. Seeing that woman in the pod, how scared the Headmaster looked, Ozpin telling her to make a choice. Pyrrha stepping into the contraption as flashes of a coffin played at the corners of his mind. Her screaming, gods did it hurt to hear her scream. Ozpin's apology, the woman in the other pod waking up… the arrow coming from out of nowhere… the lights going black... Ozpin telling them to run.

He waited what felt like an eternity for answers that never came. Instead, her gaze remained fixated on the steel doors they'd exited from. The ground began to quake and the elevator was blown to smithereens. A red clad figure skyrocketed up the shaft, a trail of blazing fire in her wake causing the air to leave Jaune's lungs. _No… no… please no…_ This couldn't be happening. If that woman was flying up the elevator shaft, was Ozpin…? No, he couldn't be. He was the Headmaster of Beacon! If this woman could beat him, what did that say about her strength? What did that mean for them? The thought rattled him to his core and he shivered. Pyrrha fractured the silence, dragging him back to reality.

"There's no time." She turned to him, wet eyes burning with determination. "Go! Get to the city and get help." His eyebrows reached one another. _What?_ He cocked his head to the side.

"What're you gonna do?" He watched as she turned back to Beacon Tower. _She's not going to…? That's exactly what she plans to do._ "No way, absolutely not." He reached up and gripped her shoulders tightly. "You saw how powerful she was! She just may have killed Headmaster Ozpin, you can't fight her! Come with me to Vale, we'll go into the city and get help then come back and bring the fight to her. I won't let you fight her by yourse-" She kissed him. It took him a second to even register what was happening. Her hands cupped his cheeks; he'd never really realized how soft they were. Even after years of fighting in tournaments and killing Grimm, he thought absentmindedly. _She must use a lot of lotion._

He admonished that part of his brain and channeled everything into this kiss, his first kiss. He'd never have guessed it would be Pyrrha. For the longest time, he'd hoped it would be Weiss, hours of fantasizing what it would be like to hold the small Atlesian. After the dance though, he realized that it was something that could never be. Then he saw Pyrrha in her dress and everything clicked. With Weiss it was infatuation, sure she was gorgeous, there was no disputing that. With his partner though, it was so much more. On top of being stunningly beautiful, she was kind and caring, generous and selfless, patient and smart. She was perfect in every way, shape, and form. It was like she was made just for him, she was even nearly as tall as he was! The perfect girl wasn't the cold Heiress from Atlas; it was the warm Champion from Mistral.

After that night at the dance, he'd sworn that he'd take a chance and ask her out right after the Vytal Festival. He told himself there would be no time during the tournament but in reality, the time was going to be used to build up his nerve. It turned out there would be no after, not one that any of them could enjoy anyway. His hands found her hips and he leaned in, giving as good as he was getting. At least, he hoped he was. Leave it to his mind to get self-conscious about a kiss when terrorists and monsters were attacking his school. He noticed she tasted of peppermint, his mind fluttered to Christmas time back in Ansel. Candy canes and fir trees. Presents and mistletoe. The strange thing was, the memories weren't with his family, in fact, they weren't memories at all; they were dreams. The only other person in them was Pyrrha. For just a moment in time, Jaune Arc dared to dream. Of a world where everything was OK. Of a world where there was no fear or pain. Of a world with his Champion.

Just like that, it was over and she pulled away. His hand found hers and he squeezed. _I don't want to let go. I don't want this to end._ His eyes opened to see tears falling down her cheeks. He pressed his forehead against hers. _Please don't let go._ She spoke.

"I'm sorry." Her voice was weak and quivering. Her hands found his chest and she pushed. _Wait, what?_ He fell back into a locker. _When did this get here?_ He looked around, attempting to gather himself before the door slammed shut with a thud. His stomach dropped into his ankles and he pressed himself against the door, his mind screaming. _No no no no no…. No no no no no no!_ The redhead began to tap on the keypad on the outside of the locker.

"What are you doing Pyrrha!? Let me out of here! Please!" She gave a look over her shoulder at the Tower. "Don't do this Pyrrha, don't go! I'll do anything, I'll do whatever you want me to, just please don't go!" The floodgate broke and tears came streaming down his cheeks. She tapped the keys on the control pad and he felt the vibration as the thrusters booted up. His cries fell on deaf ears and he felt the locker begin to take flight. His mobile prison took him away and he watched as she grew smaller and smaller. Soon, she was but a scarlet dot amidst the broken stone, a ruby in a Dust mine. His fists banged against the steel and he felt them bend and warp but they wouldn't break. _What good is the strength from Aura if it won't let me break through a locker door!?_ He was regretting all those times he'd skipped going to weight room with Nora now.

Jaune knew Pyrrha would die if she went to fight that woman in the Tower. She may be a four-time Mistral Regional title holder, she may be the strongest fighter in the class, maybe even in the school, but she was still a Huntress in training. That woman had gotten through Ozpin, a man with decades of experience, in no time. She had no chance alone, honestly all of Team JNPR would probably still lose against her, but it would be better than facing her alone. Jaune had to do something, anything. He racked his mind for ideas all the while slamming his hands into the door.

Call it Fate or Destiny, luck or divine intervention, it didn't matter. Whatever it was, it worked in mysterious ways, especially when dealing with Jaune Arc. He'd never been given the opportunity to train to be a Huntsman by his father, citing that he didn't have time, so he trained himself. He sent poorly done fake transcripts to Beacon and still got in. He'd gone into Initiation without Aura and survived. Whenever Fate or what have you, got involved with Jaune Arc, things got weird. This time would be no different.

The screeching cries of a pack of Griffons filled his ear drums and he noticed the calls were getting significantly closer. His mobile prison had been turned into a missile. That missile connected with one of the Griffons, causing a sickening crunch to ring out from the creature. The rest of its flock didn't take too kindly to the attacker of their pack mate and dug their claws into the steel, tearing it to ribbons. Beaks and talons tore into the locker, perhaps in an attempt at vengeance for their brother that was currently hurtling towards the ground, its body mangled and broken. He could faintly see bones peeking out and wondered to himself if he could count it amongst the Grimm he'd killed.

He was pulled back to reality by the Griffon talons rending the door and a beak poking through, snapping viciously. Jaune reached for Crocea Mors, using the sheathed weapon to bash the intruder. The creature backed off and Jaune drew his sword from the scabbard, brandishing as much as he could in his confined space. He could feel the vibration in the floor as the thruster was still pushing at maximum but the pack of Griffons held him in place. He slashed at the claws, eliciting yelps and screeches of pain from the Grimm. There was a bang and the ear-piercing sound of claws on steel. The door of the locker was ripped away and sent plummeting towards the ground. A weight slammed into his prison and he was sent toppling forward, his limbs flailing. Crocea Mors slipped from his grasp, landing against the back of the locker as he began to fall out. His fingers found the edge and he held on with all of his might. The Griffons took notice of their now exposed prey and descended upon him in a flurry of claws and beaks.

Every hit was absorbed by his Aura, but it wasn't infinite and he would run out very soon if things didn't change. _Gotta get back inside, get back inside and get away._ He let a fist fly, connecting with the face of one of the Griffons, it recoiled but came back. It felt like there were hundreds of the things, every time he swatted one back, two more would take its place. Crocea Mors was just out of reach despite only being a few inches away. So close, yet so far. Exhaustion was setting in, he couldn't keep holding on like this while being attacked, he could feel how low his Aura was. _Dig deep, come on Jaune. You've gotta find a way out of this, you need to get to Pyrrha!_

Pyrrha.

In that moment, Jaune found his second wind.

His arched his thumb and middle fingers, reaching out and digging them into the nearest Griffon's eyes. The beast let out a ghastly screech of pain. He felt the beast's eyes pop and his hand clamped around the bridge that led into its beak. He flexed as hard as he could until the bone masked cracked. He was rewarded with another shriek of agony. Using every ounce of the strength in his right arm, he swung his new cudgel into its brethren. It wasn't moving quickly and it wouldn't do much but it might be able to buy him enough time to get back into the locker. He wrenched his shoulder as much as he dared, dragging the creature from side to side. It worked. Well, worked was a relative term. The Grimm Cudgel did about as much damage as he expected, that being virtually none, but it did its job. He'd gotten an inch of wiggle room, dropped the creature, and dragged himself back into his prison.

The beasts descended upon him, blocking the exit as well as boxing each other out. He retrieved Crocea Mors and began slashing in a desperate effort to get them out. After nearly a minute of cutting, stabbing, and thrusting, the creatures backed away. Jaune turned around and drove his blade into the foot Griffon keeping the locker still.

"LET. ME. GO!" He roared, severing the claws that held him. His flying prison was away, he was free! Except that he wasn't. With the locker door, which housed that targeting software used to designate a landing spot, gone it was now going to revert back to its original point. The fight had obviously thrown him off course and now he was hurtling back towards Beacon Tower instead of the courtyard in front of it. He watched as a massive Grimm Dragon slammed into the building, breaking it like it was a block tower. Terror seized him in that moment. _Pyrrha..._ Rubble was strewn across the area, broken glass rained down to the ground like sharpened snowflakes. Two figures stood amidst the chaos; Cinder and Pyrrha.

Relief swelled in his chest. _She's alive._ Geysers of flame erupted from Cinder's hands and he watched as Pyrrha dodged to and fro. _That woman's toying with her…_ That had to be it, the flames were keeping Pyrrha out but that was it. She could've overwhelmed his Champion by focusing the fire directly on her but she didn't, she wanted Pyrrha to squirm. Even from the skies, hundreds of feet away, Jaune could see her demeanor. She was standing tall, back straight and eyes glowing bright. There was no visible damage to her or her dress and her hair was still perfect. _What_ _ **is**_ _this woman?_ The two figures came closer into view and he watched as Pyrrha gave this fight everything she had. She didn't have her spear, Milò, only her shield. She was only marginally less dangerous without it but he wondered, what could've happened to it? He pushed the thought aside as worry gave way to terror.

His Champion was running ragged. He could see her chest heaving from here; he didn't need to check his Scroll to know that her Aura was dangerously low. Pyrrha reared back, heaving her shield with all her might. In the same moment, the woman summoned a bow from thin air and loosed an arrow on the same course as the shield. The arrow dematerialized just before contact could be made and reformed on the other side. It found its mark in Pyrrha's ankle. She fell to her knees, crying out in pain. Her shield was batted away like a Frisbee. The woman made her way to his Champion as she attempted to stand, only to be kicked back to the concrete. Cinder stood stomped a heeled foot out, driving it into the redhead's injured ankle. Fury seethed through Jaune's veins. _NO! Don't you touch her!_

He placed his hands on the side sides of the locker, if he could angle it correctly…. His weight shifted back and forth until he had it as close as he could. With the angle he was coming in at, his plan might work. He was doing a lot of guesswork, but it was the best he could do in the situation. The woman reached down, cupping Pyrrha's face in a hand. She spoke but he couldn't make out what she said. His Champion sat there, on her knees. Scrapes and bruises marred her arms and legs, blood oozed from her ankle, she was out of energy, out of resources, and out of fight. His hands squeezed the steel even tighter as he willed it to go faster.

 _Come on! Go go go go go! Go faster you stupid machine, please!_ They were getting closer and closer, his heart rate kept rising as he saw Cinder bring her bow to bear again. He wasn't far away now, he sent out a silent prayer to the gods above. _Please, anything you want gods, it's yours. Just let me get to her in time. I'll do whatever you need me to do, change whatever I have to; just don't let her die tonight._ He had to hope that it was enough. She pulled back on the string, an arrow was born and she took aim. _I'm not going to make it…_

Fate said otherwise though as the woman paused. Well, Fate might not have said something, but Pyrrha certainly did. He was still too far away to make out the words but it gave him enough time that when she redrew her bow, he was there. He braced for impact, going against everything he'd been taught about being in a crash. You weren't supposed to tense up, you were supposed to remain loose and free flowing but Jaune had never been a great student. He saw the shock on both women's faces and felt the impact as his makeshift missile collided with Cinder. From there, he smashed her into the ground, grinding her into the concrete. By nothing more than luck did he roll out of the locker before it cascaded off the edge. Sadly, it didn't take Cinder with it. If his life had been a Spruce Willis movie, he'd have said a catchy one-liner like "Sorry for dropping in" or "locker-ed and loaded." But his life wasn't an action movie and he wasn't Spruce Willis.

Jaune got up about as fast as his legs would allow it, sprinting to his partner's side. She was still awestruck. He fell to his knees right in front of her. Words failed him in that moment. He hadn't realized how angry he was at her for taking him out of this fight. A cross between fury and relief washed over him, he knew something had to be said, so he went with the first thing that came to mind.

"Hey Pyr." She stared at him like he'd grown a second head. Seconds passed in silence, well as silent was a warzone with an active Dragon attacking the people below can be.

"Jaune?" He nodded, a small smile finding his lips. He'd never been good at staying mad at people before.

"Are you OK?" She gave a sad laugh.

"Don't worry about me. You need to get out of here though. Cinder can, and will, kill you if she gets the chance." She put a hand on his chest and shoved. As tired as she was, it didn't even move him.

"Absolutely not, you're my partner, my best friend, my-" The words caught in his throat. Of course he had feelings for her and, after that kiss, he was pretty sure she had them for him too. "You're the most important thing in my life. I'm not leaving you and you're not going to send me away, not again." Her emerald eyes stared into the concrete again.

"I'm sorry." He said nothing for a time.

"We're going to have a very long talk about all this once we're out of here, alright?" A shuffling in the rubble behind him caused him to turn before she could reply. Cinder extracted herself from the wreckage. She looked remarkably less put together than before, much angrier too.

"YOU!" She called forth her bow, pointing directly at him. "You would deny me something that is rightfully mine!?" She paused and took a breath, her voice becoming more measured. "Why is it, wherever I go, people try to take things from me that aren't theirs? I have given everything in my life for these powers and mere children will not stand in the way of me getting exactly what I deserve!" As her sentence ended, she sent out a wave of heat that scattered the debris around her. Heat radiated off of her like a sauna, causing a fog in the cool night air. "I'll make you both suffer for this."

Jaune pulled himself to his feet, retrieving and brandishing Crocea Mors. Fear blossomed in his chest. _If this lady killed Ozpin and nearly killed Pyrrha, what chance do I have?_ He shook his head, crushing the voice down deep inside. Now was not the time for doubt, he had to protect Pyrrha, Beacon, and all of his friends still fighting down in the streets.

Cinder loosed an arrow, he raised his shield and was surprised at how much force was behind each shot. They didn't simply bounce off harmlessly, each one dented his shield and drove him back a step. _Close the gap, make that bow of hers a liability_. He rushed forward, preparing a slash. Every step was met with an arrow, slowing his momentum. Still, he kept moving, dodging the ones he could and blocking the rest.

When he got in range she shifted her grip, rearing back with the bow, and swinging at him. He ducked the first swing and drove his shield into her gut. His mind went back to all that training on the rooftop.

 _"Your shield is a weapon as much as your sword. Don't be afraid to use it like one."_ He brought the sword down, swinging at her thigh. She sidestepped the blow and swung again, this time bringing it down on his back. Pain exploded through him like he'd never felt before. Her blow drove him into the concrete and she delivered a savage kicked to his ribs that sent him back several feet.

The bow disintegrated into ash and she now held two black swords, moonlight shone off them like obsidian, she stepped into a stance and smiled.

"You're Jaune Arc, correct?" He said nothing. "Ahh yes, I remember you. The leader of Team JNPR and resident waste." He paused, raising his shield as well as his eyebrow. "I thought it strange that a warrior such as her" she gestured to Pyrrha "would get stuck with a weakling like you. For all of her grandstanding about right and wrong, she was a fine warrior. You, on the other hand, aren't even in her league." She stalked forward slowly. "I saw several of your sparring matches in the Witch's class and let's just say I wasn't impressed."

 _Ignore her; she's trying to get into your head._

"Does it sting, knowing that you're the weakest member of your team?" Her hips swayed, the temperature rising with each step she took. "Does it burn you up inside knowing that you're the cause of all of your team's failures?" Sweat poured down his face and he could feel his grip slipping. "Doesn't it just eat you up that you and your partner are going to die tonight, and there's nothing you can do to stop it?" She loved this, figuratively and literally kicking him while he was down. The dark recesses of his mind called out as she was less than a stride away.

 _She's right you know? You were always worthless Jaune; Ozpin was an idiot to let you into this school and look at him now. He's a corpse in the basement. Imagine the heights your team could reach if they didn't have you holding them back._ Was she right? His arms fell to his sides and his eyes found the ground. _Same old Jaune, always the damsel in distress, the idiot in the tree. You were never good enough and never will be. Now, it's going to cost you everything. Lie down and die, maybe she'll make it quick._ His sword slipped from his hand and clattered to the ground. _She's right; we're going to die up here because I'm not strong enough._ Pyrrha called out from behind.

"Don't listen to her Jaune! She's trying to take you out of the fight. Focus!" Cinder let out a cruel laugh. Her hand gripped his throat, lifting him from the ground. _This is it, isn't it? This is where I die._ Her hand tightened and breathing became a luxury he couldn't afford. His hands clawed at her wrist with every scrap of strength he had left, but it was no use. Spots darted his vision as the world began to darken. Before everything could go black, there was a grunt from behind him, followed by the dull thud of steel meeting skull. Suddenly, air flowed back into his lungs and he was dropped to the ground.

Power radiated from the woman's body, causing misty flames to emanate from her eyes as she rose back to her feet. Kicking the dented bronze shield off the tower to the ground below, a massive fireball formed in her hands, a deep-set snarl on her face.

"YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!" He could hear his mind screaming at him as he lay there. _HELP HER! GET UP! SHE'S GOING TO DIE IF YOU DON'T MOVE RIGHT NOW!_ Everything was happening in slow motion. Cinder pulled her arm back, an ear rending scream echoed from her mouth. Jaune felt his fingers close around the handle of his shield as he scrambled towards his partner. With the last of his energy, he dove, curling up behind the steel as much as he possibly could.

The heat from the fireball was unlike anything he'd ever felt before. The hair on his knuckles was singed off immediately then it seeped into his skin, the shield warping and bending. He was driven back, landing in front of Pyrrha. Burns marred his hands and arms. His Aura shattered like glass, energy evaporating. He looked over to Pyrrha, seeing tears stream down her cheeks. He gave her a small smile. _She's OK…_ Rolling onto his back, he expected to see the night sky, maybe even the Heavens above.

What he saw though, was Cinder. A heeled foot was driven into his left hand, the bones shattering. Jaune's eyes went wide and he tried to cry out in pain, but only a half-choked sound crawled through. His mind ordered his good arm to reach out and defend his body but nothing happened. The woman lifted her heel again, this time slamming it down on his ribs. He felt, as well as heard, the bones crack and break. She spoke, her voice filled to the brim with a fury no normal person could bring to bear.

"NOW DIE!" She materialized her bow again and took aim. The arrowhead shined in the moonlight, it's tip staring him dead in the face. He turned to his partner and gave her as big a smile as he could. He tasted copper in his mouth and as he opened it, he felt blood trickle down his lips as tears followed suit from his eyes. _I did my best. I gave it everything I had. That's what counts, right?_ It wasn't much of a consolation prize, but it would have to do.

Jaune waited for an arrow that never came. Instead, a voice called out from behind him. It sounded like Ruby, but at this point it could've been anyone. Suddenly, his world was engulfed in a silver supernova. A piercing cry eviscerated his ear drums and suddenly everything went from so very bright, to pitch black. Before the darkness could smother him in its embrace, an image fluttered through his mind of him and Pyrrha, smiling in front of a Christmas tree. Their fingers were intertwined with bright smiles adorning their faces. He held onto it for as long as he could.

 **A/N: This is leagues better than the original IMO. Still no perfect but its about as good as I can write the scene. Moving forward though, this whole thing is done and posted on AO3 but I wanted it on here since more people are actually on here. Being that it's done, the next chapter should drop on Sunday. I want to let you all read it and provide a bit of feedback so I can make any changes if necessary. Furthermore, a small shout out to my beta and friend little-wolf (that's their tumblr name btw. They make some dope art that you should go check out) Until next time, may Fortune favor you all.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: The response to chapter one was better than I'd hoped, I'm glad so many of you enjoy this. Getting feedback is so important to keeping a writer going, nothing more disappointing than playing to a silent crowd.**

No one had ever accused Jaune Arc of being a morning person. That wasn't to say he hated them, far from it actually, but he always found that waking up was a chore and his bed was always at its softest just after leaving sleep's clutches. This time, as his eyes cracked open, was no different. That wasn't entirely true actually, normally he wasn't in this much pain. He also wasn't typically in a hospital. Jaune turned his head and was met with a lance of pure agony, causing his body to twitch as a result. This set off a chain reaction of misery, the likes of which he'd never felt before.

A shrill chorus of beeps sounded from his side as the curtain that had been pulled around his bed for privacy, slid open. A woman appeared, her face a mask of concern. Short dark hair framed her face and soft brown eyes were opened wide.

"Mr. Arc, you need to stop trying to move. You've been seriously injured." Jaune squeezed his eyes shut, begging the pain to subside. He laid as still as he possibly could and slowly, ever so slowly, his wish was granted. Gently, the nurse eased herself down onto the edge of his bed. "How're you feeling today?" His first thought was to snap at her. He was in immense pain, that's how he was feeling! Her question felt very patronizing but because he was in as much agony as he was, he couldn't muster up the energy to shout.

"Everything hurts." He slowly looked around the room, taking in the stark white walls and massive window at his side. "Where am I?"

"I'll have the doctor up your dosage of pain relievers." She picked up the clipboard that hung off the end of his bed and scribbled out a note with a pen she then hid behind her ear. "As for where you are, you're currently at the Eastern Vale Memorial Hospital." _What happened? Last thing I remember is Cinder aiming her bow at me. I looked over at Pyrrha… Pyrrha!_

"Is Pyrrha OK?" He felt like he was spitting out broken glass. The pain became magnified as the woman remained silent. Jaune tried to sit up but his body told him immediately that it was a bad idea. _She has to be alive, she can't be gone._ "Please. Please just tell me if she's OK." The woman let out a sigh, her hands falling to her sides.

"She's alive. Her injuries were very extensive. The least of which were a shattered ankle, complete Aura depletion, and exhaustion." He felt his stomach drop to the floor. She continued. "You weren't in any better shape Mr. Arc. You're very lucky we didn't have to amputate your left hand. Every single one of your ribs were fractured, more than half were completely broken. It's no minor miracle that your lung wasn't punctured or collapsed. Your Aura was drained and you were covered in more lacerations then I could count. Not to mention the numerous burns on your hands and arms. It's no exaggeration to say that you're both very lucky to be alive."

Her words hung in the air like a prisoner from the gallows as he peered over to his left hand. It was propped up in a sling and wrapped up to his forearm. His free hand was also covered but still movable. It found his ribs, only to feel bandages. Gone was the energy and strength that Aura gave him, now replaced with exhaustion and pain.

"With the help of Aura Boosters, it should return in the next day or so. From there, your body will begin to heal itself." She gave him a small smile.

"Now that you're awake though, there's a group here who have been very eager about seeing you." She pushed herself off the bed and headed towards the exit. Her head peeked out and she spoke to someone before quickly hopping out of the way. Replacing her was a mountain of a man. He was easily three or four inches taller than Jaune and about twice as wide. A shaggy mane of blond sat atop his head, hanging in his face. Large bags hung under his deep blue, bloodshot eyes. He carried a girl on his shoulders that yawned as she used her father's hair for handles.

The little girl wore the same blue eyes and blonde hair, though hers was kept in long pigtails. She sniffled, wiping tears from her eyes and called out.

"Big Brother!" She struggled in the large man's arms until he set her down. The girl broke off in a dead run towards Jaune as the large man's voice boomed.

"Be careful Marron!" It was too late though, she leapt up into his bed. Jaune felt his body tense up in an attempt to brace himself for the incoming agony. Just before she could make contact, a pair of arms snatched her away, pulling her back. Marron struggled in his savior's arms but they were held firm.

"Marron Gloria Arc! You know better than to jump on your brother, especially when he's hurt like he is!" New tears formed in the girl's eyes and she pressed her face into his savior's neck.

"I'm sorry mommy." The woman sighed.

"You have to be careful dear, Jaune got really hurt and you jumping on him isn't going to help. Promise you won't do it until he's better?" The little girl nodded and was set back on the ground. The world began to click again for Jaune.

"Mom? Dad? What're you guys doing here?" He looked to Marron. "What're _you_ doing here?" Jaune's father stepped out of the doorway and into the room.

"We were going to surprise you for the Festival but got held up a bit. We ended up getting here on the final day and were on our way to the Coliseum when the Grimm and White Fang attacked." The man pulled a chair out and sat down at his son's side. His mother joined him on his right side, taking hold of his right hand.

"What happened baby? How're you feeling?" Jaune's mind flashed with images from that night. _Penny… Ozpin… Cinder… Pyrrha…_ A shudder went through him.

"I'm OK." He watched as his mother's eyes slipped down to his injured hand as he placed it gently on his bed. "Well, maybe not 'OK' but I'm alive." He let out a tentative sigh that only caused a minimal amount of pain. "As for what happened?" He passed his eyes to Marron. "Mare-bear, I need you to wait in the hall OK?" Her face scrunched up.

"No way! I'm old enough to hear grown-up stuff. I'm eight now!" She said it with as much pride as was in her little body. A small smile found his face.

"Not this time Mare-bear. If we're being honest, I'm probably not old enough to know what happened." She opened her mouth to start another protest but was halted by her father.

"Marron, wait in the hall with your sisters. Tell them they can come in to see Jaune in a minute." His voice carried an edge that was usually reserved for use by his wife. Marron grumbled but did as she was told, her tiny feet stomping across the tile. As she opened the door, Jaune spied several more heads full of blonde hair and felt his heart jump in his chest. _I can't believe they all came to see me._ He shook his head internally, not wanting to cause himself any unnecessary pain. He'd have plenty of time to spend with them later.

Jaune turned back to his parents and told them as little as he could get away with, never going into great detail. It wouldn't do to worry them with all of these things, and telling them about what happened in the basement with Headmaster Ozpin? Not an option. To their credit, his parents were quiet throughout the whole ordeal, not interrupting him or asking questions. He made a point of changing exactly what happened with Pyrrha, claiming that he and his partner were trying to get inside the school and see if there were any civilian stragglers when they ran into Cinder.

He watched their expressions with fear grasping at his chest as the fingers of his right hand snagged the bed sheets. He didn't need to look down to know his hand was shaking like a candle flame in a wind storm. Could they tell he was lying? If they could, did they care? As he came to a close, he felt his mother's hand close over his, the death grip on the sheets loosening.

"My poor baby!" Tears began to stream down her face as she kissed his bruised and burned knuckles. "Don't you worry, your father and I will personally find that Cinder woman and deal with her." Jaune felt a small laugh try to make its way from his mouth but he crushed it down, it wasn't worth the pain. He peered a glance over to his father who stood to the side, arms crossed over his chest.

"Where was the rest of your team in all of this? What were their names, Ben and Cora?" Jaune felt his jaw clench and his fingers flex. _What's that supposed to mean? 'Where were they?'_ _Where were they!? They were in the streets keeping people safe! They were doing your job! Where the hell were_ _ **you**_ _, huh!?_

" _Ren and Nora_ were with the rest of the students protecting the other civilians." The look on his father's face told him that he didn't buy it. Jaune tried to swallowed his frustration before speaking. "What?"

The man let out a sigh before sitting down in the chair.

"How sure are you about that, son?" Jaune pulled his hand away, reaching down to his sheets again.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"All I'm asking is, are you sure they were with the others? Why didn't they come and help you or your partner? How much do you know about them as people?" Jaune's hand slammed into the steel frame.

"Andre! That's uncalled for-"

"Don't talk about them that way! Of course they were with the others! That's where Pyrrha and I left them! _We_ decided to go back to the school, _I_ told them to protect the civilians, all _they_ did was exactly what I asked them too, exactly what their job description is!" His eyes blazed with anger and, for a moment, there was no pain. "They weren't with me and Pyrrha because by the time we would've called for them, communications were out." He leaned up in his bed, his gaze hardening. "Why would you ever question my team's loyalty? You don't even know them! Me and Pyrrha are the only family they have left and I know they'd both rather _die_ than let us fight alone like that if they didn't have to!" Slowly, he let himself fall backwards, letting out a pained breath as the anger molded into cold contempt.

Before his father could utter another word, the MatriArc cut him off.

"That's enough." She looked her husband down with a hard stare before turning it on her son. "Both of you." She sighed and pushed herself to her feet.

"How about we go get everyone some food and let your sisters spend some time with their favorite brother?" Jaune sat there for a moment before nodding.

"Yeah, I think we could all go for some food." The two began to make their way to the door but his father paused, turning back to his son.

"I… I'm…" He sighed, his head drooping. "Yeah." Turning back around, he followed his wife out the door. Following his parent's exit, in came seven girls, all clamoring to get to his bedside. Nothing could be understood and it all blended together to form a wall of noise and blonde hair. Jaune felt a smile find his lips and his body relax.

 _I didn't realize how much I missed them…_ With the busy schedule of maintaining a school life, a social life, and training as often as he could, Jaune wasn't able to keep in contact with his sisters nearly as much as he would've liked. After a near minute of talking and shouting, they quieted to a dull roar, long enough for him to actually get a word in.

"It's so good to see you guys, I missed you all so much." He gestured with his hand for each of them to come get a hug, assuming one considered wrapping one arm around the shoulder and keeping the person as far away from his ribs as he could a hug. First was his eldest sister Aurelia. At twenty-three she was just like their mother, she always had been. When mom needed a break, Aurelia took up the mantle and gave her best impression. Like most of the Arc children, she had flowing mane of gold that went down her back, rivaling Yang's, and piercing blue eyes.

She held the hug for as long as she could.

"We missed you too." She pulled back and cupped his face in her hands. "Are you OK? Do you need anything?" He shook his head.

"I'm alright Aurie, thank you though." She nodded and stepped back. The next sister to make her appearance was nineteen-year-old Viridian. Viri did everything in her power to _not_ be like her mother. Her natural blonde hair was dyed a vibrant pink. Gone were the blue eyes, replaced with red contacts. An aspiring Huntress, Viri decided to attend Shade Academy in Vacuo and was now a second year. She had elected to not participate in the Vytal Festival apparently, something Jaune didn't even know you could do. She leaned in close, wrapping him up as tightly as she could. Moving at all was intensely painful but coupled with Viri's Aura enhanced strength, and he was about ready to beg for death.

"You had us scared to death you fuckin' moron." He felt tears hit his chest. "You're never allowed to get hurt like this again, you hear me?" She shook him gently with each word. Physically, it was miserable, but it didn't compare to how bad he felt emotionally. It was so easy to forget that there were people in his life outside of his team when he was at Beacon. That other people cared about him. Jaune patted her arm softly.

"I promise." She nodded, giving him one last squeeze before letting go. Before he could compose himself, another girl was latched onto him. Whereas Viri and Aurelia were tall and statuesque, Jade Arc was anything but. A mop of dirty blonde hair now laid on his chest as she to squeezed him like he'd try to escape if he wasn't held down. She was short and pudgy; her eyes were a much softer blue than that of her siblings. If Jaune was the high priest at the Church of Social Awkwardness, then Jade was the deity he prayed to.

"Hey." He hugged her back as a smile formed on his lips again.

"It's good to see you Jade." Her words were muffled as she refused to look up at him. He patted her arm lightly. "What was that?"

Slowly, she peered upwards, tears forming in her eyes.

"What happened to you?" He opened his mouth and closed it again. _I can't tell them anymore than I did Mom and Dad. They wouldn't understand anyway._

"I… I tried to fight someone I very much out of my league to protect someone I lo-" He wasn't ready to break out the L word, not yet anyway. "I was trying to protect someone very special to me." Jade stared at him for a long second, pale blue eyes boring into his own. As she looked away and righted herself, she nodded.

"Please be safe Jaune." He gave her a small smile and nodded. He turned to his right to see twelve-year-old sister, Shae. She looked like a smaller version of her older sisters albeit with thick glasses and a much worse attitude. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she had a scowl not unlike Weiss's. The thought sent shivers down his spine.

"You're an idiot." Aurelia reached over and pinched the girl, earning a small yelp. Shae sent a death glare at her eldest sister as she rubbed the afflicted area. "But I'm glad you're OK."

"Thanks… I think." The girl grumbled something about vengeance in between periodic glares at Aurelia before stalking off to the far side of the room. Next came the Terrible Twins, Magnolia and Lily. Right now though, they looked far less so dressed up in frilly dresses and with bows in their hair. The two lived for dressing up anything and everything, which usually ended up being him. They each placed a small hand on his good one, passing looks to the various machines and marks that marred his body. Magnolia spoke for the pair.

"How long until you're better and can play dress up again?" He wasn't able to stop the laugh that erupted from him, though the pain it came with was intense, it was worth it.

"It'll be a little while guys." The two shared a look of disappointment before squeezing his hand.

"Get better soon then. Nobody else lets us put lipstick on them like you do." Lily gave him a big gap-toothed smile that he returned. Just then, Marron shoved through the twins, reaching out with her tiny hand to clasp over his.

"Big brother!" She sniffled and squeezed his hands as hard as she could. A trail of tears fell down her cheeks that she tried to wipe away. He returned the squeeze, feeling his own tears start to form.

"Mare-bear!" Before another word could leave his lips, there was a knock at the door. Jaune looked around, wondering if he somehow miscounted and one of his sisters wasn't there. The door opened before he finished counting to reveal Nora and Ren. The immediate relief of seeing them alive was drowned when he looked at them.

His battle-brother was a mess. His clothes were torn in more places than he could count, his hair was scorched and split in several places. StormFlower hung at his hips, the blades chipped and dull. There was a noticeable limp in his step, courtesy of the gash on his leg, visible through a long rip trailing from his knee to his shin, that was currently healing.

Nora looked no better. Her face was splattered with dirt and grime, her hands were shaking like leaves in a storm. Magnhild had more than a few new scuffs and dents in it. Her right arm was coated in scratches and dried blood, she looked exhausted.

Still, as soon as Jaune made eye contact with his team, Ren began to walk as fast as his bad leg would allow and Nora broke off into a dead run.

"Jaune!" She cleared the room in only a few strides, landing at his bedside right next to Marron. The little girl squeezed her brother's hand one more time as Nora's hand closed over the both of theirs. Ren was only a second behind her, a small smile on his lips.

"It's good to see you guys." Jaune felt his eyes begin to water as Marron pulled her hand away. He squeezed Nora's hand tightly as Ren's found his shoulder.

"I missed you guys." Nora wiped her eyes with her free hand before replying.

"We missed you too." On the opposite side of his bed, someone cleared their throat.

"Aren't you going to introduce us to these people?" Jaune fought back the raging tide of tears before sniffling and nodding.

"Right, sorry." He cleared his throat and spoke. "Guys, these are my teammates, Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie." He turned to his team. "These are the sisters I told you guys about." Ren nodded as Nora gave a small smile to the girls. His teammates turned back to him.

"What happened to you and Pyrrha? You both look terrible. The last thing you said to us to was to keep fighting while you went with Pyrrha and the Headmaster." Jaune's eyes widened.

"You saw her?" Ren nodded. "Is she OK? How badly was she hurt?" He could feel his voice breaking as he pleaded. "Please guys, you have to tell me." The two looked at one another before Ren picked up where Nora left off.

"Her injuries were… extensive." His heart was hammering into his rib cage, threatening to break free. Each pulse ached more than he thought it could, but he didn't care. _I have to go see her._ He shifted in his bed, making to get up as he blocked out the pain.

"I have to go see her." A hand found his chest and he looked to Aurelia, her eyes stern and her mouth set in a thin line.

"You'll go absolutely nowhere, little brother. You've been awake for less than two hours and can barely sit up, let alone walk." He pushed against her hand.

"I don't care! I need to see her." The hand held him in bed as another was placed on his shoulder. Ren.

"Listen to her Jaune. Pyrrha's alive and resting right now, she won't be going anywhere and neither will you." His battle brother spoke with more finality then he'd ever heard before. Nora nodded.

"Renny's right, you need to get better." She flexed the hand that wasn't holding his, knuckles cracking. He felt a shudder run up his spine and ceased his resistance. "We'll strap you to the bed if we have to." Knowing Nora, there was a better than zero chance of her following through.

"Alright fine. I won't go try and see Pyrrha tonight, I promise." The hand left his chest and he settled back into as comfortable a position as he could. Ren nodded.

"That's all we ask." Trace amounts of a smile sat upon his lips, not one of joy but of relief. "Will you tell us what happened now?" Jaune hesitated as he looked to his sisters, eventually settling his gaze on the twins and Marron.

"I don't think you three are old enough to hear this." Marron stomped her tiny foot definitely.

"NO! I wanna hear who hurt my big brother! I'm grown up enough to hear a story." The twins nodded in support as Jaune shifted his eyes to Aurelia, who looked less than enthused at the idea. Before she could voice her opinion though, Viri spoke.

"Who fuckin' cares? Let the little brats hear it. They deserve to know just as much as we do." Aurelia began to voice her argument but when the three youngest didn't budge, she caved.

"Fine, you can stay." She pleaded with her eyes for him to keep it as clean as possible. With a sigh, he retold the story exactly like he'd given it to his parents. He made a mental note to tell Ren and Nora more of the truth later but he wasn't about to divulge everything to his family. As his story came to a close, his parents returned with a veritable buffet of hospital food. Normally, it would've been considered mediocre at best, but after having not eaten in nearly a day and fighting for his life, he didn't care if it was roadkill.

Everyone stuck around for as long as the hospital would allow, Jaune kept noting the hard looks his father kept giving Nora and Ren as they all swapped stories. As time wore on though, the looks softened ever so much and in turn, the gazes he sent his father softened. Everyone left with promises to be back again tomorrow as the sun began to set. The nurse came back and gave him another round of medicine, sending him into the peaceful oblivion of sleep.

When he next woke, the moon hung high in the sky, casting the world around him in a pale blue glow. Pain kept him from returning to sleep, no matter how hard he tried. It was nearly silent in the room, the only sound coming from the wall clock. The noise was comforting if, for any reason, that it distracted him from being alone with his thoughts. Images of Pyrrha whirled around his mind like a hurricane of scarlet and Jaune felt himself shifting to get out of bed. _I just need to make sure she's OK with my own two eyes._ Guilt washed over him, if he was caught he'd be breaking his word. An Arc never broke their word. He shook his head. _This is more important than promises._ He pushed himself to his feet, wobbling a bit. Walking felt odd and he now had a new weight to drag around in the form of his heart monitor. He looked over at his hand and sighed, realizing how difficult things were going to be now that he would be one handed for a while. Thankfully he was already a righty.

He hobbled out of the room as quietly as humanly possible, getting caught by security, or worse, his nurse, would very much put a damper on his plans. Cracking the door open, he peeked into the hallway to see a pair of armed guards rounding the corner. After a second, the scene made sense, the White Fang had made a serious attack on the city of Vale less than a week ago and the chances of a follow up attack were significant. Slipping out of the room, he picked a direction and began to walk as slowly as he could, partly to keep his actions quiet but mostly because the pain wouldn't let him go any faster. He made several turns before he realized that he had no idea where Pyrrha even was. On top of that, fatigue was starting to set in. He leaned against the wall, trying to catch his breath.

 _Think Jaune, think. Ren and Nora said she was alive. They would've said she was in intensive care or in surgery if that's where she was. If I were to bet, I'd say she's in the same area as I am._ His head thudded against the wall as he ran through possibilities in his head. _I can't just open every door and ask "is this Pyrrha Nikos's room?" Maybe it's all alphabetical?_ Being so wrapped up in his thoughts, he failed to recognize the footsteps coming from around the corner.

"Mr. Arc?" His eyes shot to the source of the voice. _Oh no._ The nurse began to march towards him. "What do you think you're doing out of bed? You need your rest." Her voice was stern and disappointed, it reminded him of his mom in a lot of ways. In a split-second, she loomed over him, hands on her hips.

"Hey Nurse..." He peered up at her name tag. "Saffron… Nice night, huh?" She was unamused. With a grunt, he pushed himself to his feet. He began to stumble forward and panic seized him. The pain would be unbearable and in his current state, could do actual damage. Luckily for him, the nurse's hand caught his, stabilizing him.

"Why are you out of bed Mr. Arc?" He thanked her with a nod.

"I… I just need to see that she's alive with my own two eyes." The woman sighed and began to guide him down the hall. "Where are we going?" Her hand was firmly locked on his wrist.

"We're heading back to your room so you can get the rest that your body needs to heal." He slowed to a stop and shook his head.

"I will, after I see Pyrrha." Nurse Saffron shook her head.

"Ms. Nikos isn't going anywhere, you can see her in a day or two when you and she are both in better condition." He tried to wrench his hand away again.

"Please nurse, just let me see her tonight. I have to know." Her head whipped around, eyes alight with fury.

"You will get back to your room right now or I will have security drag you there kicking and screaming!" She took a breath and recomposed herself. "She means a lot to you, correct?" He nodded. "And I assume she cares about you?" He nodded again. "Then what would she think if she saw you running around in the dead of night in your condition? Do you think she'd approve? Do you think she'd like seeing you overexert yourself like this?" He opened his mouth but was cut off. "What about if the situation were reversed, would you want her doing what you're doing? Or would you want her to be recovering from her injuries?"

The thought struck him like a fully loaded freight train. He was being so stupid, this isn't what Pyrrha would want from him. He certainly wouldn't want it from her. The nurse was right, he needed to get back to his room. With a sigh, he began walking again, this time back to his room.

"You're right Nurse Saffron, I'm sorry." Her grip loosened, if only slightly but she nodded.

"I'm not doing this to be mean Mr. Arc. My job is to help you get better and I won't let anyone, not even you, impede that. Do you understand?" He nodded. He really did, what he was doing was selfish.

"I understand." They reached his room and she pushed open the door, leading him back to bed. She helped him ease back in and made sure all the machines were set up correctly. She took out a needle and slipped it into his arm. The prick was washed out by the other pain that was rearing its ugly head. Then it dulled and it felt as if all that exhaustion caught up with him.

"Get some rest Mr. Arc. I'll see you in the morning." He opened his mouth again but only a yawn came out. A second later, he felt nothing at all. His eyelids morphed into ten thousand-pound weights and shut down, sealing out any and all light. Sleep welcomed him back like an old friend.

 **A/N: Two down, three to go. Let me know what you thought about this chapter and I'll have the next one on Tuesday or Wednesday. Until then, may Fortune favor you all.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: If there was ever going to be a chapter that people have an issue with, it'll probably be this one. That being said, I hope you all enjoy and leave a review.**

The next time Jaune opened his eyes, light was streaming in from the window at his side. His eyelids were roughly the same weight as a herd of Goliaths and he grappled with the thought of going back to sleep. A voice to his side made an effort to push the thought from his mind though. He attempted to open his eyes but failed. Mustering up more strength, he tried again only to meet with failure once more. On his third attempt, he decreed that should his plan not work this time, he would go back to sleep. With determination he didn't know he possessed, he lifted his eyelids and, miraculously, they stayed up!

He was treated to the sight of his father sitting at his bedside, his eyes closed and his hands clasped together. His forehead was pressed to his fingers and he rocked slowly back and forth in his chair. He wiped a tear from his eye before speaking.

"Please dear gods, hear me. I know I haven't always been a good man, but I've always tried to do right by my family. I've asked a lot of you over the years and I know I haven't always delivered on the promises I've made, but you have my word that this won't be one of those times. Please gods, let my son be safe. By your grace, he's out of the worst of it but there's a feeling in my gut that this isn't the last time I'll see him in a hospital bed. Please protect my family. They're all I have left. Thank you and amen." He kissed his knuckles softly and lifted his hand, offering his prayers up to the gods above.

 _I didn't know dad still prayed._ The last time he could remember his father praying was at his grandmother's funeral nearly a decade ago. In all his years, it was the only that he had seen his father cry, aside from today.

"Hey Dad." His father's face shot upwards, pushing the remnants of a tear from his eye as a smile found his face.

"Morning Jaune, how're you feeling?" He flexed his "good" hand and it felt… decent. A bit achy but demonstrably better than before. If he was being honest, he felt a lot better all around. _That medicine Nurse Saffron gave me is incredible!_ It was then that he felt something small in his chest that hadn't been there yesterday. He closed his eyes and focused on that feeling. In his mind's eye, it was a small white speck amongst the blackness. _My Aura…. Its back!_

He didn't realize how much he missed it. Even only living without it for a day made him appreciate just how much Aura did for him. It dulled all those little aches that by themselves, didn't matter but added up to something significant. Even the intense pains from his burns and broken bones were dulled.

"I feel… I feel pretty good. I think my Aura's back" His dad hopped to his feet, pushing the chair back into the wall with a thump.

"That's great news!" Aurelia's telltale snore echoed from the man's back and he winced. The eldest Arc daughter was legendary in the household for the noises she made when sleeping. The growing rumor amongst the younger siblings was that she was actually adopted from a family of sentient foghorns. "Maybe I should keep it down, huh?" Jaune let out a small chuckle before nodding. Slowly, the elder Arc dragged the chair back into its original spot. He sighed and rested his chin on steepled fingers. "I want to talk about what I said yesterday… about your friends..." Jaune felt his smile slide off his face and slip between the tiles of the floor. "I… I wanted to say I'm sorry. I wasn't being fair to them or to you." His good hand balled into a fist.

"Why'd you accuse them of running away? If you knew them like I do, you know they'd never do anything like that!" Another snore from the far side of the room caught his attention and he lowered his voice. "They would've been there if they could have." His dad nodded.

"I know and I'm sorry for assuming. It's just… you can't understand what it's like to see your only son lying in a hospital bed, fighting for life and limb. I needed someone to blame. Then I saw them sitting in the waiting room with us and I was so angry. I kept asking myself 'Why weren't they laid up in hospital beds? Why did they get to walk away?'" His voice began to break. "Why'd _my son_ be the one who had to get hurt?"

A silence set in as his father tried to compose himself, leaving Jaune with his thoughts. He found it hard to judge the man for what he said at the time now. He was still more than a little annoyed at him over it, but the context behind the whole thing made it more… bearable.

"Well I'm alright now Dad, so you don't have to worry." The man let out a small bark of laughter as he wiped his eyes.

"Yes, yes you are." He sighed with a smile. "Do your old man a favor and don't get hurt like that again, OK?" Jaune nodded as his father opened his arms wide and leaned forward, only to stop short. "Not too grown up to give your old man a hug, right?" Jaune let out a small laugh and shook his head before leaning over into the older man's embrace. The telltale sound of a door opening caught his ear and he heard a soft "aww" from the other side of the room.

The two both turned quickly to see the nurse walking in, but in their haste, their heads collided with one another. The older man stumbled backwards and kicked the chair into the wall again. This set off the chain reaction of startling the intruding person, which woke up Aurelia, which woke up Marron. Aurelia had popped forward, nearly knocking the little girl out of her arms. Thankfully, she caught her but turned to the two men in front of her.

"Is Jaune OK? Is the hospital under attack? Did Viri break someone's nose again? What's going on?" Marron opened her eyes, gave a small wave to her brother and dad before closing her eyes, nestling up in Aurelia's arms, and going back to sleep. After it was explained to the older girl that everything alright and no noses had been broken, she rejoined her youngest sister in dreamland. The nurse cleared her throat before speaking to the two men.

"I'm terribly sorry, I didn't mean to intrude. I just came in to see how you were feeling today Mr. Arc." Jaune raised his bad hand, flexing his exposed fingers. He was careful to do it slowly but any movement was an improvement over the previous day.

"My Aura came back so I'm feeling way better." She smiled.

"That's fantastic news." She looked down at the clipboard she kept in her hands. "I have even better news as well; you get to go home today." All eyes turned to him in that moment.

The word sounded odd to him; Home. He hadn't been "home" in what felt like forever. Had it really only been a few months? So much had changed since then. _It'll be nice to have time to spend with the rest of the team and not have to worry about school work or terrorists._ As the thought entered his mind, he realized that they wouldn't _be_ at his home. They'd be separated. The thought filled him with unease as the smile slipped from his lips.

"Something the matter Jaune?"

"What about my team?" He was asking the nurse who cocked her head to the side.

"Well, I assume they'll be going home as well."

"Nora and Ren don't have a home to go back to and can you even get a hold of Pyrrha's family? With the CCT down, talking to anyone from Mistral is next to impossible." The nurse thought for a second before flipping a page on the clipboard.

"There's nothing I can do for your friends, Nora and Ren, I'm sorry. As for Ms. Nikos, I'll have to ask her if she has any emergency contacts in Vale."

"They could all come stay with my family." The words tumbled out of his mouth before he could think about them. His father cleared his throat, cutting of the rest of his thought.

"Being a bit hasty there, eh son?" He opened his mouth to continue but caught himself this time. It wasn't his decision to make. They weren't at Beacon anymore and he wasn't a Team Leader anymore. Team JNPR became a thing of the past when the school fell. He felt his shoulders slump as the thought entered his mind.

"You're right. I'm sorry." He watched as the elder Arc thought for a second before placing a hand on his son's shoulder.

"How about this; I'll call your mother and we'll have a discussion about all this?" Jaune nodded as his heart fluttered in his chest.

"I appreciate it, Dad." Nurse Saffron cleared her throat.

"Technically, having someone be released into the care of someone who isn't a parent or guardian goes against hospital policy and several kingdom laws." Jaune began his protest but the woman held up her hand. "However, these are extenuating circumstances and you aren't total strangers so I'm sure we can overlook it just this one time." She nodded her head and began to walk out of the room. "It seems you all have some things to discuss as a family." Her eyes found his. "It was a pleasure being your Nurse, Mr. Arc." With that, she slipped back out of the room, pulling the door closed behind her.

"Feeling well enough to move around?" Jaune shifted in his bed slowly before nodding. "Then why don't you go talk to your friends about this while I call your mother?" He smiled and eased himself out from beneath the covers. His legs and back were especially stiff and his ribs still ached but all in all, it was manageable. Slowly, he made his way into the hall before he stopped. He still had no idea where Pyrrha's room was. Mentally he kicked himself for not asking the nurse when he had the opportunity. Thankfully, he was able to catch an orderly who pointed him in the right direction.

Armed guards still roamed the facility and everyone appeared to be on edge. He spied stretchers being ushered down the hallways with doctors in tow. Some were downright ghastly to see, masses of bleeding flesh and moans of pain. The entire time, a ball of uncertainty began to form in his stomach and not just because of the grisly sight. _I haven't seen her since that night._ Memories came flooding back to him. Ozpin. The chamber in the basement. Cinder. Their kiss. Her push. Every detail recounted perfectly, from the cool night air to how Pyrrha's lips tasted. Steeling himself, Jaune rapped his knuckles on the door twice, anxiety building in his chest. There were voices coming from the other side that ceased as his hand made contact. Someone called out from the other side.

"Come in." _She's awake_. He pushed it open and felt a hurricane of emotions slam into his chest. The first thing he felt was relief: Pyrrha was alive! Of course he'd known that, people had been telling him that for days, but to finally see her with his own eyes, breathing and speaking? It did wonders for his nerves. After the relief though, came something like a cross between hurt and anger. She tried to push him away that night, because he wasn't good enough, wasn't strong enough to help her. Underneath that feeling though, there was a happiness that he couldn't describe.

As he stared, he took in the injuries she sustained. There were a more than a few bruises and a couple burns, but the worst of it was her leg, which lay suspended in a cast up to her knee. His eyes travelled up her leg to her abs where he saw her resting a hand on her ribs. _Probably wrapped like mine._ His gaze travelled further upwards to her face, where she looked more than a bit stunned.

"Jaune?" The way she said his name made his heart hammer against his chest.

"Hey Pyr." He looked to Nora and Ren. "Hey guys." Nora gave him a salute and Ren nodded.

"Morning Fearless Leader! Feeling better?" He nodded.

"Much, I got my Aura back so I should be fully healed by the end of the week."

"That's wonderful news." He dragged a chair from the far side of the room to Pyrrha's bedside.

"How're you feeling?" She gave a sad smile.

"I've been better. I have several broken ribs, multiple torn ligaments in my ankle on top of it being broken, a few burns, and complete Aura depletion. It still hasn't returned." Her smile fell and he felt the urge to reach out and take her hand. He even started to, but pulled back. Nora placed a hand over Pyrrha's instead and smiled.

"I'm sure it'll be back tomorrow and then you'll be up and kicking butt again in no time!" The redhead smiled and nodded.

"You're probably right. Thank you, all of you, for coming here to see me." Ren nodded.

"It's the least we could do." Nora opened her mouth to say something but stopped, her eyes pointed downwards as she fiddled with the bedsheets.

"What is it Nora?" She looked from Pyrrha to Jaune and then back to the redhead.

"I… I understand if you guys don't want to but… What happened that night?" She turned back to Jaune. "I know you didn't tell your family the whole story and they probably know that too." He was pretty sure she was right. After all, if Nora could tell when he was lying, then his parents more than likely could too. It wasn't helped that he wasn't especially _good_ at it. His gaze moved to his partner and they shared a nod as Pyrrha began.

"What's your favorite fairy tale?"

Thankfully, they managed to get through the beginning rather quickly. Pyrrha wasn't apt to go into deep dives about how it felt to be sealed in a box or about how it felt to have your Aura begin to be merged with another, only to have it be halted and sucked away. As she got to telling about what happened in the courtyard, her cheeks darkened to a deep crimson and she turned away as she trailed off. Jaune was left to scratch his face and turn his own shade of scarlet. He mumbled out the answer that Nora kept insisting on getting, only to have her send him a pointed stare as she forced him to repeat himself more clearly. Taking a deep breath, he enunciated his words.

"She kissed me." Nora's jaw fell to the floor, even Ren was left catching flies. Slowly, the ginger's lips curled into a smile as she stood up.

"You guys kissed?" Jaune and Pyrrha nodded, though they made a point of not letting their eyes meet. "You guys kissed." Ren put a hand on her shoulder, a grin on his face.

"That's what they said Nora." She turned and grabbed her partner's arm, squeezing his arm like a child with her favorite stuffed animal. Jaune couldn't recall a time when he felt his cheeks this warm. Not even when his Viri revealed his sewing acumen to a girl her liked way back when. The time his mom drunkenly sang "I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perriwinkle at a party came really close though.

"YOU GUYS FINALLY KISSED!" Nora was jumping up and down at this point and Ren was doing nothing to stop her. Jaune dared look to his battle brother who stared down at him like a proud father. After several minutes of Nora probing them for details about how it was, was it romantic, and did they declare their undying love for one another, she calmed down a bit.

"So, what happened after that? Did you both make a beeline for that lady so you could take her down together? Did you try to get back to the city but were cut off by thousands of Grimm?" Jaune felt an ache in his chest. He wished that was what had happened, it would've been so much easier. Probably not physically, honestly, they'd probably both be dead if Nora's idea had been what happened, but at least there wouldn't be any emotional turmoil going on. As he spoke, the words felt like broken glass on his lips.

"She…. she pushed me into a locker and sent me away so she could fight Cinder by herself." Ren looked from Jaune to Pyrrha and then back to him as if it would provide and explanation. Nora stuck her finger in her ear, wiggled it, and brought it back out.

"My ears must be clogged or something because I heard that she pushed you into a locker but that can't be right since the Pyrrha _I_ know wouldn't do something like that." She kept her stare locked on the redhead, who had yet to look up.

"Jaune isn't wrong… that's what happened. It's not that simple tho-"

"YOU WHAT!?" Pyrrha opened her mouth to defend herself but Nora cut her off again. "Why would you ever do that!?" Ren placed a hand on her his childhood friend's shoulder.

"Nora, calm down." He locked his eyes with Pyrrha's and while they weren't as full of frustration, there was a wealth more disappointment. "Let's hear what happened from her point of view." She nodded her thanks and took a moment to think her words over while Nora sat in her chair, fuming.

"It was my fight, I was the only person that stood a chance against Cinder." Jaune felt his blood pressure spike to unsafe levels in an instant.

"That's a lie and you know it!" He was out of his chair, pacing back and forth next to his partner's bed. "It was a one-way trip if you went up there! She killed Ozpin, Pyrrha. You're the best fighter in our year, maybe even in the school, but she killed the Headmaster. You're not more powerful than he was." She nodded and sighed.

"Yes, well… I thought it was the only way to keep you… everyone… safe." Jaune took a breath, trying to calm himself before returning to his chair. _Aura just came back, don't overdo it._

"What about you though? Who was going to keep you safe?" She gave a small smile.

"I'm more than strong enough to keep myself safe, Jaune." His hands balled into fists.

"And I'm not? Was all that training for nothing? Am I still not strong enough to fight beside you?" Pyrrha sputtered as her hands wring together.

"Th- That isn't what I meant." He was out of his chair fast enough to knock it over this time.

"Then what did you mean? I don't need to be protected anymore, Pyrrha. I'm not that idiot stuck in the tree. Thanks to you, I can stand on my own two feet now. I can protect people! I can help!" He watched her hands as they slowed to a stop, squeezing one another. Her voice wavered for a second before she responded.

"I don't know what I'd do if something ever happened to you."

"And what about you? You think I'd be fine if you went off and got yourself killed!?" He began pacing around the room again. He stopped, pointing to his teammates. "What about Ren and Nora? Huh? How do you think they'd feel?" Pyrrha looked to the two. Ren had his hand on his partner's shoulder as Nora stared at the red head.

"We've lost everyone that we've ever cared about. You and Jaune are the only family Nora and I have left." Nora nodded, placing her hand atop her childhood friend's.

"Ren's right. You guys mean the world to us." Pyrrha looked at her friends apologetically.

"I didn't want anyone else to get hurt so I made sure that no one was around that _could._ "

"What about me and my choice? Don't I get a say in a fight involving my partner?" Jaune's hands took hold of his hair as he resumed his pacing around the room. "What about that kiss? Did it even mean anything or was it something out of pity so you wouldn't feel bad when you went off to become Ozpin's martyr?" The sadness in his partner's eyes was replaced with cold fury in an instant. He couldn't recall a time when he'd ever seen that look on her face. Her voice was filled with more indignation than he'd thought she was capable of.

"In all the time we've spent together, have I ever once done anything out of pity for you?" He opened his mouth to voice his reply but she stopped him in an instant. "I kissed you because I thought it was going to be my last chance to do so and I wanted you to know how I felt, even if you didn't feel the same."

"Your feelings can't be that strong if-" The telltale sound of a throat clearing caused all four of them to turn.

"Excuse me, Ms. Nikos. I don't mean to intrude but I have some questions for you regarding your release later today. Immediately, Pyrrha slapped a mask down over her anger, instead showing a smile.

"Yes, of course." Jaune opened his mouth but felt a tug on his arm. He turned and saw that it was Ren.

"Come with me." His protests were silenced before they could start by a hard stare from the black-haired boy. Ren wasn't content to just go into the hallway, no. He dragged Jaune all the way back to his room. Inside, Aurelia and Marron had woken up and greeted the two with warm smiles. Ren gave a fake one in return before speaking.

"Would you both mind giving me and Jaune a moment of privacy?" Aurelia raised an eyebrow.

"Why? What's going on?" Ren shook his head.

"It's nothing major, I assure you. We just need to talk, man to man." She seemed to understand after that. With a nod, she snagged Marron up with a promise of pancakes. Ren closed to door behind them and gestured for Jaune to sit down.

"What do we have to talk 'man to man' about?" He made the quotes with his fingers before crossing his arms.

"You took it too far." Jaune scoffed.

"I don't think I took it far enough! She obviously can't feel that strongly about me if she was willing to throw me away like that."

"You can't make snap judgements based off of one-time occurrences."

"Oh, come on Ren! She shoves me into a locker and goes off to fight a woman who _killed_ Professor Ozpin! I think I can make a couple of judgements based off that."

"What about everything else then? Keeping your secret? Helping you when you were going after Weiss? All of those hours you two spent training on the rooftop? Do those not count anymore?"

"Of course, they do! But..." Ren crossed his arms over his chest.

"But what? Do none of those help her case for her feelings being genuine?" Jaune pushed himself to his feet and made his way to the door.

"You don't understand." Ren placed a hand on his Leader's shoulder, halting him in his tracks.

"Then help me to understand it." Jaune thought about shrugging the hand off and leaving, but instead, he sighed and let himself be pulled back into the room. He eased himself down onto the bed as Ren took a seat beside him.

"You know how you told us about what happened with your village when you were a kid? About how everything around was falling apart and there wasn't anything you could do to stop it?" Ren nodded. "That's what that felt like. She kissed me and then put me in a locker and sent me away. I saw everything up in the sky Ren. All of the death and carnage the Grimm and those robots caused. You know what I felt like up there?" His battle brother shook his head again.

"The idiot in the tree who needed to be saved because he couldn't protect himself. Again." He felt tears sting his eyes. "She didn't want me around for the fight because I wasn't strong enough to help her fight Cinder." Ren was silent for what felt like an eternity before placing a hand on his leader's shoulder.

"That wasn't why she did it Jaune. You're projecting your insecurities onto her actions

and getting angry at her for it." Ren cut off a reply before it could even begin. "That's exactly what you're doing. Pyrrha has never once thought of you as too weak to do anything, even at the beginning of the semester. She's believed in you from the start. She was trying to protect you because she didn't want to lose you."

Jaune stared down at his hands as he mulled over what Ren had said. Could he be right? Was he projecting his own self-doubt onto what Pyrrha did?

 _Yes._

In that moment, Jaune had never felt more stupid. She had never been someone who pitied him. Even when he was at his worst, at the start of the semester when he wasn't any better with a sword than some random guy off the street, she didn't. She may have felt bad for him but that was more because of her abundance of empathy and boundless ability to care about others. It was because of that care that she sent him away like that. Ren spoke again.

"I'm not saying you can't be angry at what she did, you have a right to be. However, make sure that you aren't taking it too far and aren't getting angry about the wrong thing." He nodded. Jaune was still angry, maybe even furious, but it was at _what_ Pyrrha did, not _why_ she did it. He turned to Ren and nodded before the two walked back into the hall. As they rounded the corner, they came upon Andre Arc as he was slipping his Scroll into his pocket.

"Ah Jaune, just the son I was looking for." The younger blond chuckled.

"I'm your only son, Dad." His dad smiled and shrugged.

"I talked to your mother and she said that it would be a tight fit, but your team is more than welcome to stay with us." Jaune stopped dead in his tracks. He'd gotten so caught up in seeing Pyrrha that he never got to ask any of his team about coming home with him. He turned and saw Ren, a puzzled expression on his face.

"That's why I came in to talk with you guys in the first place." Ren nodded before looking to the elder Arc.

"We wouldn't want to intrude." The man shook his head.

"Jaune told us that you and your little girlfriend don't have anywhere else to go." It was Ren's turn to shake his head.

"Nora and I aren't like that." The man scoffed. "I can't speak for her but if you're sure we won't be a bother, I'd love to." The man smiled and clapped the black-haired boy on the shoulders hard enough to make him wince.

"Fantastic!" He leaned in between the two boys, whispering into their ears. "Just between us guys, I could really use some other guys to talk to again. Too much estrogen in the house." He let out a bark of laughter and the two boys joined in. Together, they all made the trek to Pyrrha's room, speaking with the nurse in the hall. She passed along that Pyrrha didn't have anyone in Vale that she could stay with. They thanked the woman and move along. As the door opened, Jaune watched as his partner's face fell into a deep frown. He rubbed the back of his head and stared at the ground. His dad looked from him to Pyrrha before speaking.

"From what I hear, none of you have anywhere you can stay while you're all trapped in Vale." Pyrrha opened her mouth but the elder Arc held up a hand. "Don't even bother, we talked to the nurse just a second ago." The redhead closed her mouth and nodded. "That all being said, I'd like to extend the offer to let you all come home and stay with us until things calm down and you can get set up in a better situation." He pointed to Pyrrha before she could even open her mouth. "Don't think for a second that you'd be intruding. It'll be a bit tighter than normal but nothing ridiculous." The injured redhead replied after several seconds of silence.

"I would hate to make things awkward for your family. I'm sure I can find someplace else to stay." Andre shook his head.

"Good luck with that little lady, everything's booked solid six ways to Sunday. Not even dropping your name would help you out." She sighed after nearly a minute.

"If you're sure…" The man let out a deep laugh.

"Sure, I'm sure! You all have been watching my son's back for months now, least I can do is offer you a place to stay for a while." Pyrrha gave a small smile before nodding.

"Alright." She looked to Jaune who was beaming ear to ear at this point. He inclined his head to her. The smile on her face fell but it didn't morph into pure scorn, so he took it as a small victory. After that though, silence reigned again as all eyes turned to Nora. Jaune was so caught in what his partner was going to say, he hadn't realized that Nora didn't answer. She looked to Ren, who nodded, before she began rubbing her chin. Eventually, she broke the silence by standing up, a mischievous smile on her face.

"Sleep over at Jaune's!"

 **A/N: Let me know what you all thought about this chapter in a review or a PM if you don't wanna do it publicly. That all being said, the next chapter will be Friday or Saturday. As always, may Fortune favor you all.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: First of all, I'd like to thank you all for your support and a very special thank you to mollykflood on Tumblr for letting me use her art for this fic. Go check her stuff out, it's really good. Before we get started I wanted to address a few of the comments so if you don't care about that, just skip this part. First of all, this story will be ending next chapter and at this moment, there are no plans to go into Volumes 4 or 5. Not to say there never will be, but as of now, this is just an interlude in between 3 and 4. To the Guest who asked about perspective changes, well we start with one this chapter actually funnily enough. If you enjoyed this or hated it, let me know in a review please. Anything and everything helps. With that all being said, enjoy.**

Despite what the many rumors that had swirled around Beacon Academy about Nora Valkyrie said, she was not stupid. Was she great at homework? Not really, no. Did she sometimes get too excited and break stuff? Sure, but everyone did that. Did she need plans explained to her a couple times before she got them? Sometimes. What Nora was really good at though, was reading people and knowing what they're feeling.

It kind of came with the territory. You didn't spend more than a decade reading a boy whose very Semblance allowed him to mask emotions without picking up a thing or two. Everyone had a tell, even Ren. Sometimes, he wouldn't clamp down fast enough and his eyes would spark, sometimes she could see his hands tremble ever so slightly at the sight of larger, more dangerous Grimm. Most of all though, he moved differently. Ren would flex his toes in his shoes when he was feeling anxious or push his hair around more when annoyed. What came off like normal ticks a person did whenever they were resting, Nora read as emotional billboard.

That all being said, watching Jaune and Pyrrha in the Arc household was holding up a giant neon sign that said, "WE WANT TO TALK BUT WE'RE BOTH BEING REALLY STUPID." It was driving Nora insane. She understood that things were still rough between them but what she didn't get is why they couldn't just apologize, kiss, and makeup. Pyrrha already promised her that she'd never do something like what she did at Beacon again, and Nora accepted it. They were making this so much more difficult than it needed to be. Every morning it was the same thing. Nora would wake up at the crack of dawn and go for a run, by the time she got back Viri was up and would sometimes spar with her. When the two of them finished, it was in time for breakfast and that's where everything would go sideways.

Pyrrha would be sitting on the couch, leg elevated on the coffee table with her plate in her lap and a content smile on her face. It was out of the cast after the few days, but the doctor still recommended she keep it elevated until the end of the week and minimize her time standing on it. Not a moment before the redhead could take a bite, Jaune would stroll into the kitchen, give his mom a hug and make himself a plate. Nora would watch Pyrrha's smile falter and her food go untouched.

Jaune's eyes would lock with his partner's for a split-second and he'd instantly go into a mood. His face would bounce between apologetic and furious for what felt like forever, before he would take his food and leave the room. The first time had been perplexing, the second annoying. By the eight-day mark, Nora was ready to tear her hair out and scream incoherently. This had to stop, so she devised a plan. One that would put 'The Great Pizza Sacrifice' she had come up with during her birthday party to shame. She considered asking Ren about it but thought better of it. Ren was really smart, but he was also really passive when it came to romantic matters, something that had been slowly messing with her psyche for years now. After a couple of days, she had something that she thought would work.

It took another three days of watching the Awkward Lovers Tango before Nora could spring her trap. It was a simple one, she would lure Jaune and Pyrrha into the training room that Arcs had in the backyard and, with the help of some very heavy objects and Viri (who was also getting sick of watching the two dance around each other), they'd lock them in there until they settled their differences or killed one another. At that point, Nora didn't care what happened, as long as _something_ did.

-/-

Jaune sighed as he pushed himself from the couch and made his way to the backyard. It was nearly time for his training session with Viri, something he was very much _not_ looking forward too. With her massive glaive and years of more practice than him, it would essentially be dodging practice with a side of being jabbed in the face until his sister got bored. Still, it would be nice to get back into some kind of rhythm. It felt like it had been forever since he'd done this, the last time was with Pyrrha…

Her name brought up an avalanche of memories and emotions. With a shake of his head, he pushed them from his mind. _Remember what you were taught, focus. Block out all distraction and hone in on your opponent._ His feet carried him into the small training room where he retrieved Crocea Mors from the wall mount. On the other side of the room, there stood Viri and Nora. His teammate gave him a wave accompanied by a sing-song hello while his sister simply inclined her head.

"You going to be joining us Nora?" She smirked and shrugged.

"Something like that." He cocked his eyebrow as he took in her expression. He hadn't seen that look in her eyes in a while. The last time being when she plotted to raid the lunchroom of its breakfast menu in the dead of night. Before he could think more of it, the door on the opposite side of the room opened and Pyrrha let herself in. Her eyes met his and froze. Before she could say anything, Nora trotted to her teammate and pulled her further into the room.

"Here's what you're gonna do. You two are gonna talk about what happened, forgive one another, kiss and make up or…." She brought her hand to her chin as she thought. "No, that's really it." She waved to his sister. "Come on Viri, let's give these two some privacy." The quarreling companions opened their mouths to argue as the door closed, leaving them in silence. There was a massive thud on the other side and their teammate called out. "If you try to come out before you fix this, you'll regret it~" She sang, it was enough to send an arctic chill up Jaune's spine. He turned to his partner, their eyes met, and then they found the anything else in the room. The blond became very interested in Crocea Mors' edge and its sharpness while Pyrrha studied the featureless brown walls. This went on for several minutes with both teens sneaking glances at one another until Jaune finally committed to saying something.

"Your ankle must be feeling better if you planned on training today." He nodded towards the aforementioned limb. The fact that she wore no shoes or socks told Jaune she was here for some light hand-to-hand workouts, probably not even sparring. The burns on her arms were all but gone, as were the bandages around her ribs. By the way she stood, he could tell the ankle was still bothering her a bit though.

"It is, thank you. It's nice to be able to walk around again on my own." Her reply was cautious as she wrung her hands together.

"Good… that's... good. Glad to hear it…" He said with a nod. A silence that rivalled any awkward silence he'd ever been a part of, set in as he tapped on the grip of his sword.

"Yes, well… so… how're your injuries?" He flexed his hand, feeling the leather of his gloves rub against the still healing skin. There would be a scar on his palm for the rest of his life, but it was a small price to pay in the grand scheme of things.

"They're uhh…. They're good. Everything's almost completely healed by now." His hand found his ribs and he took a breath. A very dull ache permeated through his chest, but it was a vast improvement over how much it hurt in the hospital.

"That's wonderful to hear." After nearly a minute of typing out messages, Nora having ignored them, Viri as well, Jaune sighed.

"We're not getting out of here until we talk about what happened, are we?"

"I suppose not…" She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear as their eyes met. His heart was pounding against his chest. He'd never felt such a strong urge to run away before. He didn't want to have this conversation, not now, maybe not ever. Why couldn't Nora just let them be? The words tumbled from his lips before he could lament his situation any further.

"Why'd you push me into that locker?" Pyrrha looked to the ground again, turning away from him.

"Fighting Cinder was something I had to do by myself. I was the only one powerful enough to stand up to her." Jaune's hand squeezed the handle of Crocea Mors.

"You're way too smart to believe something that stupid…" His voice began to crack, and he felt tears threatening to spring from his eyes. He set his jaw as his grip turned to on iron on his weapon. If he didn't know better, he would've sworn that he cracked the metal. "Tell me the real reason Pyrrha, please." She looked up at him, hands clasped together. After a second, her gaze found the floor again and she mumbled out something.

"What?" He stepped closer to her and she said it again, louder this time

"I was… afraid. Afraid of fighting Cinder, of losing the place that had come to be my home, of losing all the things I care about. Most of all though, I was scared of losing you, Jaune. I didn't want to even think about something happening to you if you went with me to fight. So, I made sure you couldn't." That was the truth. On some level of his mind, he knew what she was going to say but having her say it made everything so much worse. Cracks formed in the dam that was his tear ducts as one slid down his cheek.

"That… that wasn't fair, what about what I wanted? Don't I get a say in who I fight? Partners are supposed to stick together when things get hard, _friends_ are supposed to stick together when times get rough. You're supposed to lean on those around you Pyrrha, you taught me that!" He jabbed a finger at her.

"I'm sorry." He slipped his gloves off and pegged them at the wall. The scene played in his head, that helplessness and panic washed over him like a tidal wave. His breathing was ragged as he turned back towards her.

"How would you have felt, if we had switched places that night, if I sent you away?" She sniffled as tears trickled down her cheeks.

"I'd feel horrible. Unwanted, confused, useless."

"Exactly. I watched as one of the most important people in my life marched towards her death while I was screaming for someone, anyone, to send me back." She collapsed to her knees, trying to wipe the tears from her face.

"I swear to you, that wasn't my intention. I was just trying to protect you."

"But who was going to protect _you_!?" He barked. "That's my job! Not just as Team Leader, not just as your partner, but as your friend. I watch your back and you watch mine." He marched towards her, falling to his knees as well. "I don't know what I'd do without you." After a moment of hesitation, Pyrrha threw herself into her partner's embrace. She squeezed as tightly as she could, sobbing into his shoulder. Not a moment later, he did the same.

Time slowed to a crawl for them. Nothing else mattered, not the Grimm, not the Maidens, not Ren or Nora, not their families. They held each other until tears dried to salt and sobs melted into silence. Pyrrha would be the one to break it.

"I'm so sorry. I don't know what else to say." He squeezed her again.

"Promise you won't do it again." She nodded.

"I won't. From here on out, we face everything together." The two cracked smiles before leaning their foreheads against one another. Pyrrha reached out and took his hand in hers, running her fingers over the scar. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything." He tapped lightly on her palm.

"Where do we go from here?" Jaune pulled back slightly, cocking his head to the side.

"What do you mean?" Pyrrha looked away.

"Well, you know how I feel about you… Do you feel the same, can you feel the same after what I've done?" He stared at her for a bit before replying.

"Close your eyes." She hesitated for a second but did it. His heart felt like it was trying to escape his chest as it thumped against his ribs. His hands were getting clammy, but he took a deep breath, leaned in, and kissed her. He felt her tense up and freeze at first and he wondered if what he was doing was a good idea. The thought of it being anything but, was disproved when she cupped his face and kissed him back.

The taste of peppermint was nearly overwhelming at first. _She must've have brushed right before coming here._ Memories of their first kiss invaded his mind as his hands found her hips. Slowly, he pushed those thoughts out. As similar as the moments were, they were very much not the same. The first had been eager and wanting, hungry even. While this was all of those things, it was also sweet and wasn't surrounded by the scents of burnt wreckage and the sounds of screams in the distance.

The two would remain clutched together like their lives depended on it. They kissed until their lips aches and their chests cried out for air. Even when the kissing slowed to a halt, they lay in each other's arms, contented smiles on their faces. It wasn't until after an hour that Pyrrha had a thought pop into her head.

"Should we message Nora and tell her to let us out?" Jaune chuckled and nodded, pulling out his Scroll. The message sent, and his hands found his partner's again. After fifteen minutes, he checked to see if he didn't miss the message or if something had gone wrong only to find nothing. At the twenty-minute mark, Pyrrha sent a message of her own and was met with the same results. After forty-five minutes, they began to try and get the door open themselves only to find that Nora had been very thorough about making sure it stayed shut. Sixty minutes in, they began to pound on the doors. Messages sent to his family had done nothing as they'd all gone out on some kind of excursion and Ren was still asleep.

After ninety minutes, the door opened to reveal Nora leaning on her weapon with a hand on her hip. She threw her arms up in the air, causing Magnhild to clatter to the ground, and cried out.

"Finally! You guys sure took your sweet time!" Jaune felt his eye twitch.

"Nora, we finished making out- UP! We finished making up hours ago. We've been trying to get a hold of you to let us out ever since!" She cocked an eyebrow and pulled out her Scroll. The message icon was beset by a bright red "twenty-eight" above it. She shrugged.

"Oops." She turned on a heel and ushered them with her after wiggling her eyebrows. "Come on! Let's get lunch, then you two can tell me alllllll about your little make-out session."

-/-

When the newly formed couple broke the news to everyone, it was met with not the chorus of congratulations and applause but also groans and a few "about times." The two had been sat down and given "the talk" about any relations in the house and about how there would be absolutely zero grandchildren for the foreseeable future. The heat that radiated off their cheeks was enough to keep all of Atlas warm for a century.

The watchful Parent Eye took in all their actions for nearly two weeks, but the elder Arcs had decided it would be time for a test. The entire family would be leaving for their monthly Errand Day which consisted of getting everything from school supplies, to groceries, to new glasses, clothes, and everything in between. Scheduling it all on one day made it chaotic but effective and relatively painless for the family. This would leave Jaune and his team completely alone for nearly eighteen hours. He took full advantage of this time… by doing nothing.

He and Pyrrha had their daily training/make-out session after breakfast but other than that, it was just a period of relaxation for Team JNPR. That is, until there was a knock at the door. Jaune slipped from the living room into the foyer and opened the door, only to be tackled by a wall of roses and screaming.

"JAUNE!" Tiny arms wrapped around his torso as he worked through the whole scenario as he laid on the floor. He peered downwards to see his first friend from Beacon smiling up at him.

"Ruby?" Pyrrha, probably incensed by the sound of her boyfriend's skull colliding with the floor, peeked around the corner.

"Ruby?" Ren was a step behind her.

"Ruby?" Nora popped out from behind both of them, throwing her arms high into the air as she struck a pose.

"NORA!" All eyes turned to the ginger who only smiled before pulling Jaune and Ruby from the floor.

"Ruby, what're you doing here?" The younger girl was making her rounds, giving the other members of Team JNPR one of her specialized hugs. As she left Nora's grasp, she looked more than a little dizzy, probably something to do with the ginger spinning in a circle for nearly half a minute. Ruby reached out and Ren caught her arm as she righted herself and waiting for the world to grind to a halt.

"I came here to see you guys, duh!" Nora gave her a big smile before pointing to the living room.

"Come on in!" Jaune and Pyrrha returned to their spot on the couch, leaning on one another as Nora and Ren took up spots in the lush leather recliners. Ruby opted to sit on the far side of the couch, shooting a look to its other occupants.

"Are you guys together now?" The couple blushed but nodded.

"That's great! I'm so happy for you guys!" She turned to Ren and Nora. "What about you guys?" Nora waved her arms, her eyes shooting wide open. Ren turned to her, donning a mask of confusion, and she immediately stopped, putting on a big, fake smile. The ginger cut off that avenue before it could continue.

"So, how've _you_ been Ruby?" Ruby's face darkened, and she brought her knees up to her chest, folding herself into a ball.

"Not so good…" Her voice cracked but she composed herself. "They could be worse I guess." She tried to mask a sniffle, failing miserably. "I… I…" A tear slid down her face. "Everything fell apart, guys." The dam burst, and she started to sob uncontrollably. The whole of Team JNPR rallied around her, wrapping the small girl in their embrace. "Team RWBY's gone, everything's ruined, and I couldn't do anything to stop it."

"What happened?"

"I woke up at home after everything happened at Beacon. I went to see Yang and she told me what happened. Atlas ships came in the next day and Weiss's dad came to take her home to keep her safe. Sun saw Blake leave, we haven't seen her since. As for Yang herself…" Sobs gave way to open wailing for nearly a minute. "Yang got hurt." Jaune looked to Pyrrha and they peered to one another's injuries.

"Is she OK?"

"She lost her right arm." All oxygen was stolen from the room in a moment. Who else was at Beacon that could've done that? Yang was one of the best fighters in the school and hearing that she'd not only lost, but had been dismembered… It made everyone in the room feel significantly more mortal. Pyrrha was the first break the silence.

"I'm sorry."

"She hasn't left her room since she came home from the hospital. She… she doesn't eat… she barely sleeps… and nearly every time I try to talk to her, she starts crying or ignores me. I can't even help my own sister!" Ruby broke down again but found some solace in the arms of her friends. Nora stroked her hair gently.

"If you need anything, we're all here for you." Ruby nodded, sniffling.

"That's kind of the reason I'm here…. I mean... I wanted to see you guys too! I swear!" Ren gave a small smile as the four of them returned to their seats.

"We know, Ruby. What did you mean though?" The young dark-haired girl nodded again, taking a deep breath to try and recompose herself.

"I talked to my Uncle Qrow after I woke up and he told me a lot of things. He said that he'd been working with Professor Ozpin for a while and they've been 'investigating the enemy,' whatever that means." She pulled her knees up to her chest and continued. "With him missing" Jaune and Pyrrha shared a look. "Qrow is going to keep looking around. And I'm going to help him. So, I'm going to Haven Academy. It has to be better than just sitting at home." Confusion overcame all of them as they returned to their seats.

"Why go all the way to Mistral?" Pyrrha mused.

"Qrow said all their leads point there." Ren shook his head.

"I don't think that's a good idea Ruby. The boat doesn't take you to Haven, you'd still have to get a ride there or walk through Grimm infested countryside. Not to mention, what will you do when you get there? You're trained to be a Huntress, not an investigator." Ruby's gaze found the wooden floorboards, hands wringing, as she mumbled something. After being prodded to say it again, she complied.

"I said 'that's why I was gonna ask all of you to come with me…'" Ren looked to Nora who looked to Pyrrha who looked back to Ren. It was clear they weren't keen on the idea. Jaune spoke.

"OK." All eyes turned to Jaune.

"OK!?"

"I'm in. I'll go with you, Ruby." Nora looked cross, Pyrrha was more than a bit hurt, and Ren was as impassive as ever. The blond turned to his team. "Ruby's right. We need to get to the bottom of this so…" He looked to Pyrrha and then to his hand. "So, we can make sure nothing like what happened to Beacon happens anywhere else." His hand closed over his partner's. "So nothing like what happened to _us_ happens to anyone else." There was a beat of silence before Ren sighed.

"Are you sure, Jaune?" He nodded, and Ren chewed on the idea. After a moment of contemplation. "I'll go with you." Nora looked from her best friend to her leader.

"If Ren's in, then so am I." Pyrrha was all that remained. She'd never looked this unsure of anything before.

"I don't know if we're strong enough and… are we really ready to leave yet? We've only just finished recovering." Jaune met her eyes and took her hand in his, kissing it softly.

"We can't stay here forever. We're ready." Pyrrha rested her forehead against his and spoke.

"Very well. It would be nice to see my mother, I haven't heard from her since before the Festival." The next several hours were spent crafting a plan to get to Mistral in a timely manner. How much money they'd need, camping supplies, maps, possible transportation, things for weapon maintenance, finding somewhere to get Pyrrha an actual weapon again, and so many other minute details. They were so engrossed in their planning, they failed to hear the door open and the Arc Clan return home. It wasn't until they looked up to see Jaune's parents in the doorway that they realized they had company.

"Dear, did we forget a child at home?" Andre Arc looked around to his children as they came in the front door. His fingers came up one by one until he looked back to his wife, shaking his head.

"Nope." He pointed to Ruby. "That one's new." Stella pointed to herself.

"Well, she's certainly not mine. I think I'd remember pushing another one out." A chorus of groans and gags echoed throughout the house. Jaune gestured to the small dark-haired girl.

"Mom, Dad, this is Ruby." Ruby gave an awkward wave that his parents returned.

"Nice to meet you, Ruby." Their gazes then turned to the stack of papers on the coffee table. "What're you kids up to? Playing a game of some sorts?" Andre's hands began to shake with excitement.

"Oooh! I hope it's Pictionary! I'm the best at Pictionary!" Unbeknownst to the teens, Viri had slipped in behind them and was staring at the map they'd made of the Mistral countryside. Her eyebrow was cocked as she kept turning her head.

"Looks like a picture of… a duck?" Her father called out in frustration.

"Viri! You can't give the drawing away!" He threw his hands up in exasperation. "Honestly, kids these days."

"You're holding it upside down Viri." Jaune snagged the paper from her hands and turned it over before putting it back on the table. "Obviously it's not a duck and we're not playing Pictionary, Dad." The PartiArc's mood died instantly as his son took a deep breath. "It's a map of Mistral… which we're going to need… when we go to Mistral." Immediately his parents broke into knee-slapping fits of laughter. Wiping a tear from his eyes, Andre spoke.

"That's funny son, really. If being a Huntsman doesn't work out, you have a great career in stand-up comedy waiting for you." Jaune felt his jaw tighten and his shoulders stiffen.

"I'm serious." His parent's laughter died in an instant, their lips forming into thin lines.

"It better be a joke young man, because if you think you're leaving this house until you're fifty then you've got another thing coming." He pushed himself out of his seat.

"Just hear me out, please." His father shook his head.

"There's nothing to hear out, Jaune. You're not going anywhere." Jaune's hands balled into fists.

"How is that fair?" The MatriArc shrugged her shoulders.

"It isn't, but life isn't fair. Our decision is made, no child of mine is going anywhere until everything settles down."

"I'm not a child anymore! Do children fight Grimm? Do children fight terrorists? Do _children_ have to defend thousands of scared adults while their friends are dying around them?"

"I taught you better than to talk back to your mother like that, young man." Jaune nodded.

"You're right but you know what else you taught me? You taught me to be confident and to stand up for myself. You taught me to always keep my word. Most of all though, you taught me to follow my dreams. I still want to be a Huntsman, just like you and I can't do that if I have to stay here." His mother shook her head, hands coming together.

"No! It's too dangerous out there now!"

"Beacon was dangerous, Vale was dangerous, everywhere is dangerous Mom. I faced all of those by myself." He shot a look back to his friends. "I won't have to do it alone this time." Stella turned to her husband.

"You say it again, I'm going to go lie down." As she started her way up the stairs, he spoke.

"When were you planning on leaving?" Jaune had never seen his mother move as quickly as she did there. She was more than half way up the steps by the time she would've needed to process all of his words and she made it back down in less than half a second.

"HE CAN'T, ANDRE!" She went ignored as Jaune looked over their notes.

"We're not totally sure. We're still planning everything out." Stella closed the gap between herself and her son, wrapping her arms around him and placing her head on his chest. Tears leaked from her eyes like an old faucet as she squeezed him as tightly as she could.

"Please baby, please don't go. You've only just come home."

"We have to. We have responsibilities now, just like you and Dad. Plus, Pyrrha's family is probably just as worried about her as you were about me." The leakage turned to a deluge as Jaune hugged her back. After a time, she pulled back and wiped her eyes. Then, she looked to the other children in the room, staring past their eyes and into their very souls, one by one.

"Keep my baby boy safe. Is that understood?" An ensemble of nods were given and she held her gaze on Pyrrha. "Be good to him."

"Of course, Mrs. Arc." The older woman took a moment to compose herself, sniffling.

"Two months." All eyes turned to Andre. "Get everything together in two months, I can make a few calls and charter a boat, so you can all get there quickly."

"Thanks, Dad." The PatriArc nodded and turned away, all the while a single pride-filled tear slid down his cheek.

"Make me proud, son." Up the stairs he went to make a call.

-/-

It took nearly a week for Pyrrha to write the letter to her mother. It ended up being a lot harder than she thought. She wanted it to be perfect, so she kept starting and restarting until it was just the way she wanted. Then Marron drew pictures all over it when she mistook it for a piece of her drawing paper. No one had ever seen the red head's eye twitch like it did. With the help of the rest of Team JNPR though, she got it done and put it in a safe place. In the meantime, of their departure to Mistral, they opted to up their training regime.

Jaune parried the blade as it roared forth, driving his own sword into his target. It should've been a perfect jab right into her ribs, but it wasn't. Pyrrha slipped much of the blow, taking hold of her boyfriend's arm and tweaking it. With a hiss of pain, his weapon clattered to the ground and he soon found himself joining it as Pyrrha swept his legs. A buzzer rang out, signaling that his Aura had reached the red. Jaune groaned as he stared up at the lights only to have them be blocked by a hand. He accepted it and was pulled to his feet.

"That was an excellent parry, Jaune. Well done."

"Thanks." They took seats next to each other as they opened up a couple bottles of water. "Did you move my sword at the end?" She feigned offense and shock at the accusation.

"I would never!" The expression turned to one of amusement as she shrugged. He smiled and nudged her with his arm.

"You know, you've made some significant leaps since you first came to Beacon." Her hand took his and their fingers intertwined.

"All thanks to you." He leaned in for a kiss that she gladly reciprocated. They pulled away, leaning on one another and basking in the comfortable silence that enveloped them. Eventually, Jaune broke it with a question

"Will you go out with me?" Pyrrha giggled.

"Jaune, we're already together. You don't need to ask me out." His hand came up and twirled some of the longer locks of his hair around his finger.

"I know… It's just that we've never gone on a proper first date. So, would you like to… maybe grab dinner sometime?" He felt his cheeks heating up as the words tumbled from his lips. He didn't even know what he was nervous about, they were already a thing! So why was he shaking like a leaf in a hurricane at the thought of going on a date with her? His eyes kept glancing from Pyrrha's to the floor, but he did catch her smile.

"I'd love to." She sealed her answer with a kiss.

 **A/N: Damn son, this chapter moved a breakneck pace. Probably too fast if I'm honest but I'd rather it be too fast than too slow. Still, I do like how it turned out for the most part. Next chapter is the finale and should be coming out Monday on the 9** **th** **. Until then, may Fortune favor you all.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: The finale is here! Sort of. Here's the deal, I've been thinking about how Pyrrha being around changes Volumes 4-5 and how I could translate that into more content for this story. I have something of an idea but the plan is to wait and see what happens in Volume 6. After that, I'll try and get some more chapters of this up. Until then, enjoy.**

The week following Pyrrha's agreement to go out with Jaune was filled with virtually one thing; training. Every morning was a non-stop barrage of stance, form, tactics, kissing, hand placement, feigning, cuddling, blocking, dodging, and finally, more kissing. Not that he was complaining. There was an alternative reason behind the nonstop working though, outside of the benefits of staying in shape and improving as a Huntsman, it allowed him to not be in panic mode about the upcoming date. He'd gone over thousands of ideas in his head about where they could go and what they could do but none of them were perfect like he wanted.

Going into Vale was virtually out of the question since the city was still in a state of disarray and, even if it weren't, Jaune couldn't afford (or survive) the Bullhead trip into the city. He didn't have a car (or a license) so wherever they went, it had to be local. That left him starved for options. Ansel wasn't a city, or even something resembling one. It was a small community, less than two miles long, surrounded by forest and rivers. While it could be picturesque and even stunning in some places, it wasn't a place that had a whole lot to do for two people just trying to go on a relaxing date. Naturally, he asked around for some ideas.

Nora and Ren were somehow less than useless in this endeavor, however. Even if hadn't been from a different country, they could've at least come up with something _possible_.Nobody actually thinks of meditation as a date, Ren, and there aren't any sloths in the surrounding areas, Nora. Jaune didn't think there were any even on the continent if he was being honest. His next options were his older sisters. Surely, they'd know a thing or two about dating, right? He'd assumed wrong. Aurelia was still pining after the cute checkout girl that worked at the grocery store, a trend that had been going on for nearly half a decade. When asked why she didn't initiate the attempt for a date (it would be her first), she sputtered and began to hyperventilate. Viri had given an answer he probably should've expected. "Who the fuck goes on dates anymore?" Classic Viri.

His younger siblings were completely out of the question since what the heck do children know about dating? The only real possibility would have been sixteen-year old Jade, but she was more socially awkward than Ruby on her first day at Beacon. That left two options: his overprotective, emotionally volatile, well-meaning mother or his not-so-prince-charming, board-game loving, "just gotta have confidence" father.

Jaune took a deep breath, trying to calm his overactive nerves. He brought his hand up, rapping it against the faded wood of his parent's bedroom door. There was the sound of shuffling covers, the thump of something hitting a nightstand, and a muffled shout of pain before someone called out "come in." He threw down a mental blockade before the thoughts of what his parents could have been doing tried to invade his mind and shuddered as he opened the door. He looked up to see his parents, lying in bed, their blanket pulled up over their chests. Their faces had a sheen of sweat layered atop them, their hair was disheveled and messy. They both shot him a very wide, very fake, smile.

"Hi Sweetie! Did you need something?" His father shot him a look that begged him to say no and go away. Jaune wanted to, gods did he want to leave the room. It smelled like… something he _very_ much didn't want to think about and it was only getting more pungent the longer he stayed in the room. Sadly though, he couldn't leave. His parents were his last hope of coming up with a decent date idea and he was running out of time quickly since the date was set for tomorrow evening. Steeling his nerves and swallowing his fear, he spoke.

"I need your guys' help." Masks of concern were pulled down over their faces.

"What's wrong baby?" Jaune made a concerted effort to look his parents in the eyes as he spoke.

"So, you know how I have my date with Pyrrha tomorrow night?" The two of them nodded. "Well… you see… I have no idea where to take her or what to wear!" The words fell from his lips in a heap. The elder Arcs were silent for a moment before turning to one another. Their masks slipped from their faces to reveal raucous laughter. For nearly a minute, they laughed, and laughed, and laughed. All the while Jaune felt his face spike in temperature until it surpassed the sun itself. It got to the point where he turned on a heel and began to walk away.

"Fine, I'll figure it out myself." The two brought their amusement to a halt and shook their heads.

"We're not laughing at you son, we promise." His father wiped a tear from his eye. "We were just worried that you were asking about something dire and were relieved when we found that it wasn't." His head whipped around.

"But this is dire! This is my first real date!" His mother made a motion to leave the bed, presumably to comfort her son with a hug, only to be pulled back into the covers before she could… expose herself. She shot a look of annoyance at her husband, who only motioned down to the blanket. She blushed and nodded in thanks. If there was any doubt about their state of undress before, it evaporated instantly. A shiver travelled up the boy's spine.

"It's really not, kiddo. It's a date, and with someone you're already comfortable with. Just let everything flow naturally. And be confident." Jaune raked his hands through his hair.

"You don't understand! What if I screw this up and she hates me for it? What if I do something wrong and ruin everything? What if I take her to the wrong place and she locks eyes with someone and falls in love with them!?" A wall of white cotton slammed into his face, nearly knocking him off balance. His eyes gazed downward to see a pillow. Looking up, he spied his mother, shifting her in her spot to make up for the missing object.

"You need to relax honey. Take a deep breath." He obeyed. "Now hold it in and then let it out very slowly." She told him to do that several more times until he could feel his heart rate coming under control. "There, feel better?" He nodded.

"Thanks. I'm sorry about that, I just want to get this right you know? It's our first date and I want it to be special."

"And it will be. But not because of what you do or where you go, but because of who you're with. That's what's important, Jaune. You think I swept your mother off her feet with fancy dates and flashy activities? Of course not! I used some of that good ol' Arc charm that I passed down to you." He laughed as his wife playfully smacked his chest. Jaune sighed.

"You're right. I know you're right." His head hung low and he leaned back against the door frame. "But I still need to come up with _something_ for us to do tomorrow and we don't have a lot of options around here."

"You could always borrow the car and head into the city." He shook his head.

"I still don't have my license, remember?" His father cocked an eyebrow.

"Really?" Jaune nodded. "Huh. Thought you had one of those." He mumbled something to himself about "dealing with that later" before looking to his wife.

"What about going to the movies?" Jaune shook his head again.

"Didn't Dunkelman's burn down like, three years ago?" She nodded and sighed.

"They never did find out who was responsible for that…" She shrugged and brought her hand to her chin, thinking. After mumbling to herself for several minutes, she snapped her fingers, pointing at her son. "I've got it! You could go to Kerry's!" Kerry's Pizza Shop used to be his favorite place to eat growing up. To this day, it was still the best pizza he'd ever eaten. He hadn't thought about it in years and his stomach growled, apparently also remembering the establishment.

"That could work." In truth, it was the best idea he'd heard since asking Pyrrha out. The prices were fair, it wasn't a super disgusting place or anything, the people were friendly enough, and it was well within walking distance. He nodded his head, pacing back and forth on the carpet. He paused "Does Pyrrha even like pizza?" He shook his head. "Of course, she does, she ate it at Nora's birthday party." He shuddered at the old memory. _It's a shame we'll never be allowed back in that place… Who knew piñatas were flammable?_ His pacing resumed, only to stop again as he turned back to his parents. "Do I ask her if she'd want to go there or is it better a surprise?" Before they could answer he did it himself. "No, that would ruin the surprise and I told her I'd pick out somewhere great." He laid a hand against his forehead before tossing both limbs into the air. "Should it even be a surprise? Gah!" His eyes went wide as another realization dawned on him.

"WHAT DO I WEAR!?" His heart was attempting to re-break his ribs as it thumped against his chest. _I don't need to rent a tux, do I? I can't afford that! Maybe go with something more casual like a hoodie and my sweat pants? Or maybe…_ His train of thought was ripped off its rails by another pillow crashing into his face. He looked up to see his father correcting his large stack.

"You need to relax before you pop a blood vessel, Jaune." He fiddled with the sacks of feathers before continuing. "As for what to wear, go with something upscale casual. Do you still have that royal blue button-up we got you for Christmas last year?" He knew he didn't take it with him to Beacon so it _should_ still be in his closet… hopefully. He nodded. "Good, what about those black jeans with the gold button on the front?" Jaune knew those were still in his closet, albeit buried under all of the jeans he _liked_ to wear. Ones that didn't dig into his waist like tiny knives. "Alright, tomorrow I'll show you how to wash and iron them both properly, I'll help you do something with your hair that doesn't make you look ridiculous, and we'll hunt down a pair of shoes to go with all of that. Sound good?" Jaune's reply died before it had a chance at life. "Good, now get out. Sleep well son, we love you." The young man opened his mouth again but stopped, shook his head, and turned to leave.

"Goodnight sweetie." His mom called after him. He replied with the same, shutting the door behind him. "Oh Andre, you know hearing you talk about fashion gets me so…" Jaune sprinted away as fast as his legs would carry him. He threw his door closed, tossing himself into bed. _Tomorrow is going to be fine Jaune, just take a breath, and get some sleep._ After taking some time to collect himself, he felt silly. After all, it was just one date, what's the worst that could happen?

-/-

The next day started out as simple as any other for the most part. However, after lunch, instead of relaxing with Pyrrha in the training room, Jaune skirted off to get ready for that evening. He tracked down his dad, who helped him gather up the proper clothes and other date necessities. The jeans were surprisingly easy to find and even managed to pass the sniff test, not that it mattered. A bigger problem was finding the shirt he intended to wear, which was very much not in his closet like he thought. It took nearly two precious hours but it was eventually tracked down in the twins' room. He dreaded to think of what they'd done to it, but upon first inspection, it seemed unharmed. At the very least, it was still clean.

Jaune tossed the pants in the wash while the PatriArc taught him how to iron a shirt without burning holes in it. After that, it was time for the boy to get a wash of his own. He threw the pants into the dryer and slipped off into the shower. Upon getting out and starting to get dressed though, he came upon a problem or rather, several problems.

In his haste to get the jeans dried, he neglected to actually turn _on_ the dryer so now he had a pair of very clean, very damp, date pants. The next problem was something he wasn't sure how to feel about. It seems his time at Beacon had done some good for his physique, as before the shirt fit perfectly, hugging his chest and stomach just right. Now however, the bottom buttons refused to seal while the top one popped right off, rocketing across the room and cracking the bathroom mirror. It would have to do, there wasn't enough time (or money) to run into Vale and get a new shirt and he'd have to settle for a less fashionable, albeit more comfortable, pair of jeans. Much to his father's dismay. Stepping out of his room and into the hall, his father brought a hand to his forehead and sighed.

"Well… you don't look awful." _Gee, thanks dad._ "Do you know where your shoes are?" He nodded. Of course, he did, Jaune wasn't an idiot. They were where they always were, right by the front door. "Good, go get them while I try to think of something to do with your hair." The boy felt a shiver run up his spine and for a moment, he considered shaving himself bald. He took a walk downstairs only to find that one of his shoes was missing. Naturally, he traveled to the backup spot, right next to the couch. It wasn't there either. He snapped his fingers. _It's gotta be in my room, must've taken them off up there or something._ It wasn't upstairs.

Panic was starting to set in as he checked every room that he could. The laundry room was clear, as was the kitchen and dining room. It wasn't in the training room or bathroom, nor in the family room or back porch. After the rooms checked out, he resorted to flipping couch cushions and checking behind the refrigerator. A wayward though careened through his mind. _It's not… in the refrigerator, is it?_ The door was thrown open to find that it most certainly was _not_ in there. Oddly enough, he did find a plaid bowtie right behind the milk. Deciding it wasn't worth the thought, he closed the door, sealing the garment in for a chilly night.

His next option was to call for help. Surely his family and friends would know right? He reached into pockets, only to come away empty handed. If he was panicking before, he was positively hysterical now. For nearly two hours, he checked under tables, behind desks, in drawers, under the sink, inside the freezer, in boxes of cereal, the garbage cans, and even the hole in the backyard that the Twins dug in their mission to "dig all the way to Atlas." All of which came up empty. It wasn't until he searched the couch cushions that he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Ren, holding his Scroll.

"My Scroll! Thanks Ren, thank you so much. Where was it?" The boy put his other hand on Jaune's other shoulder.

"It was in your back pocket." Jaune felt his heart fall into his shins as his eyes found the floor. "Jaune, look at me." He peered up at his teammate. "You have got to relax."

"How can I-" Ren put a hand over his mouth.

"Relax. Take a deep breath." Ren pulled his hand away. Jaune sighed and did as instructed, inhaling for four seconds and exhaling the same amount of time. "Yes, this is a date and it's normal to be nervous but this is with Pyrrha. Someone you have experience with and trust. She knows you and you know her. Just breathe, calm down, and things will be fine." Jaune tried this, taking several more deep breaths. It was working. His heart rate was coming down and he was thinking clearer. After a couple more breaths he stopped, nodding.

"Thanks Ren, you're right. I mean, it's Pyrrha! I've got nothing to be nervous about…" As he said the words, he heard footsteps descend the stairs, his vision followed the noise and his tongue nearly rolled itself onto the floor.

There wasn't a person on Remnant who didn't think Pyrrha Nikos was gorgeous. In her battle corset and boots she was the picture of glory and victory. With her hair tied back and circlet shining bright, she looked like a Goddess of War when she moved on the battlefield. He thought his Champion could never look better than she did normally but it seemed that he was mistaken.

Her hair, normally kept up in a tight ponytail, was now allowed to flow in a waterfall of scarlet tresses, each lock looking perfect, even as they bounced with her movement. She wore a speckled cream shirt covered by a red cardigan. Following down, she adorned herself in a black skirt that flowed halfway down her thigh, black tights, and flats with golden buckles. All in all, she looked jaw dropping and Jaune was having just that reaction. He became acutely aware of how underdressed he now felt. Here he was, in one shoe, ratty old jeans, and a blue button up shirt that was missing at least two buttons on the bottom and had more than a couple undone up top, allowing his undershirt to be much more visible than he'd have liked. He must've looked near homeless! Pyrrha smiled and blushed at him as she descended the steps.

"Hello Jaune." She slowed to a halt in front of him, planting a kiss on his cheek. On a subconscious level, he knew he was being spoken to. The words just failed to register in his higher mind, and the only thing that tumbled from his mouth was a breathy "wow". Her smile grew, and the rosy tint on her cheeks darkened. A massive paw clapped his shoulder accompanied by a hearty laugh.

"What he means is that you look fantastic dear." The hand nudged him, a whisper flooding his ear. "Down boy, you're about to get drool on the floor." Words seemed to register again and he attempted to fix himself, biting his tongue in the process.

"Yeah, you look… wow." Her smile made his mouth run dry and his stomach twist itself it knots. He could watch the expression on her face until the sun burnt itself out.

"You look quite dashing yourself, Jaune." Quickly his cheeks became stained with blush as he rubbed the back of his head.

"You two should get a move on, don't wanna get caught by Stella before you go. You'll be here all night taking pictures." The two teens nodded and Jaune checked by the front door for the third time, still hunting for his missing shoe.

"Just need to find my shoe and we can get going…" It was gone, that was the only possibility. Maybe it was swallowed up by the universe or maybe a Grimm had stolen it in the night. He checked over by where his other shoe had been, when a force slammed into the back of his head. The unknown force drove his face into the wall. How was now very thankful for all those hours of Aura training.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha was at his side in an instant, helping him back to his feet.

"Here's your shoe back Jaune~" A voice sang through the air. It was Nora. He turned, hand holding his head, and picked up his shoe before slipping it on. His words of thanks died on his lips as something dawned on him.

"Nora, why did you have my shoe?" He watched as her lips curled into a mischievous smile, hands rubbing together impishly before she threw her head back, cackling like a demented witch.

"I was performing dark experiments that required something valuable to someone close to me." He groaned, it was like her birthday party all over again. Couldn't he just have one normal night with his girlfriend? Her laughter echoed throughout the household for nearly half a minute. "Fear not Fearless Leader, your shoe proved strong enough to pass all of my tests." He shook his head, reaching out and taking Pyrrha's hand.

"You know what Nora? I don't care. Thanks for giving it back, but we've got to go." He opened the door and out they walked as wishes of luck pierced the night behind them. Moving down the street, Pyrrha took his hand in hers, fingers interlocking.

"So where are we going tonight?" A cool breeze wound its way through the houses of his neighbors and he very much regretted his choice of shirt. He tried to shake off the chill with a shake as he replied.

"There's a pizza place in town called Kerry's. We used to go there all the time growing up since it was the only place we could all agree on when it came to dinner." She smiled, her thumb tracing circles in his hand.

"That sounds wonderful."

The walk to Kerry's was filled with a comfortable quiet. Spring was attempting to make itself known in Ansel, as buds began to sprout and trees started to regain some color. Cars whizzed by as they moved down the busy street as the sun began its descent behind the horizon. Jaune led them to a small brick building with a large painted sign above it depicting a pale man with shaggy brown hair and a cartoonishly large mustache. Inside, they were greeted by a rustic decor, complete with a large stone fireplace bisecting the seating area and ornately decorated wooden tables.

They were sat by the cute blonde hostess that flashed the two of them a big smile causing Pyrrha to tighten her grip on Jaune's arm slightly. Their seat put them in a booth to the side of the fireplace, giving them a clear view of the world outside. The hostess got their drink order and left them be. However, not five minutes later, someone called out.

"Oh em gee! Jaune? Jaune Arc?" His first thought was that he'd forgotten something and one of his sisters had shown up to return it. The thought was overshadowed by the knowledge that none of them talked like that (thankfully). He turned to find the source of the voice only to see nothing. It called out again and he stood, hoping to get a better vantage point, only to see someone he never thought he'd have to see again when he left for Beacon.

Rue Owens was a girl Jaune had known since kindergarten, someone he used to play with when they'd been neighbors before she moved. The girl was also his first crush. She hadn't actually changed a whole lot since he'd left for Beacon. She still wore her hair in the same twin tailed fashion, it was still the color of red wine on a summer's day, she'd barely grown an inch past where she'd been before, putting her in the same height camp as Ruby and Weiss, and she still had those bright hazel eyes with flecks of gold.

Memories of play dates and study sessions passed through Jaune's mind like the pages in a photo album. The day he'd climbed up that tree to get her kite down and got stuck. The time they'd spent nearly an entire night hunting for her dog. The time he tried passing her a note with test answers on it and got caught, earning a zero and a call home to his parents. The day he held her after her boyfriend had broken up with her. The time he confessed and she laughed in his face…

He was brought back to reality by her leaning in, planting two wispy kisses on his cheeks as her hands trailed up his arms before he could react. She dragged a chair over, placing herself at the end of the table in the aisle. She propped her head up on her chin, smiling. Jaune was left completely dumbfounded. His eyes shifted to Pyrrha who appeared to be trying to use her semblance to crush her into a tiny ball.

"It's sooooooo good to see you Jaune! It's been so long!" She giggled. "You know, I was _just_ talking about you to some friends of mine!" She placed a hand on his wrist, which he stared at as she continued. "How've you been? It's been so long since we've talked!" He tried to pull his hand back and reply, only to have the grip tighten and her interrupt. "You know, I actually just got an internship with the Schnee Dust Company." Her voice was dripping with pride. Rue turned to Pyrrha and she pulled back, open-mouthed.

"Oh em gee, I am so sorry!" She held out a hand. "I'm Rue Owens, me and Jaune are old friends. You don't mind if I stay here and eat with you guys, right?" Pyrrha's mouth opened but her sentence was stopped dead. "Thanks so much!" The intruder sat there for thirty minutes, somehow talking about everything and nothing at the same time. Nobody else was permitted to speak in that time. The first ten minutes weren't too bad, it harkened back to tuning out lessons at Beacon. The second ten minutes had Jaune and Pyrrha trading looks that asked if Rue was ever going to leave. By the thirty-minute mark, they'd given up and were trying to come up with a plan to get her to leave when she started in on yet another story.

"Jaune, do you remember when you asked me out?" She laughed as he felt his blood run cold. Of course he remembered, it was one of the most embarrassing moments of his life. His eyes travelled to his Champion's. To say she looked frustrated would be an understatement. Jaune understood, he wanted more than anything to not hear this story and for the girl to just leave so they could enjoy their date. Rue looked to Pyrrha.

"You should've seen it. It was sooooooo cute!" Jaune felt his cheeks heat up as he slumped in the booth. "He showed up in a perfectly pressed tux with a top hat and a cane. He had a dozen freshly picked roses, then he caught me on the school steps just as class let out. Then he dropped to his knee and said 'I love you, Rue Owens, please go out with me!'" She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Naturally I said 'Yes' and we dated until he went off to that Huntsman school or whatever. Of course, it was mutual. He didn't want to be tied down while away and wanted the same for me." She nudged his foot with her own, causing him to recoil back under his booth. The blond mumbled something to himself, earning the attention of the two girls. "What was that?"

"I said 'that's not how I remember it.'" Rue cocked her head to the side, raising one eyebrow. "I didn't wear a tux, it was in the summer. I didn't have 'a dozen freshly picked roses,' it was _one_ that I pulled from Mr. Thornhill's garden. And I didn't profess my love for you, I asked you for one date." His hands closed into fists. "Which you not only said no to, but you laughed at me and so did everyone else. You laughed until you nearly threw up on the steps. Do you remember what you said after you stopped?" She started to reply but he raised his voice. "You said 'Not even if we were the last two people on Remnant.' Do you know what that's like, Rue? To have everyone in an area turn and laugh at you like that?" His hands were beginning to shake until Pyrrha reached over, placing one of hers atop his. Jaune took a deep breath, reeling in the memory. "Please Rue… just leave and let us get back to _our date_."

With a huff, Rue kicked her seat back and stood. Her hands were balled up into tiny fists and her jaw was set tightly.

"Fine. Have fun with this loser, whatever your name is." Pyrrha started to defend her Knight only to have his fingers interlock with hers. He shook his head, leaning across the table.

"Don't worry about her." Theirs lips met as Rue scoffed, slamming the entrance door behind her.

"Um, excuse me?" The two parted to see the hostess from earlier with their drinks in hand. "Sorry to interrupt." Three sets of cheeks turned a deep scarlet hue and the blonde girl nodded before walking away quickly. The two eased themselves back into their seats.

"I'm sorry about Rue." Pyrrha shook her head.

"It wasn't your fault, you had no way of knowing she would be here."

"Still, I'm sorry you had to meet her at all."

"What did you even see in her?" Her tone gave an inkling to just how bitter her feelings were towards girl. Pyrrha seemed to realize this and she waved her hands in front of her, eyes wide. "I'm sorry! That came out wrong." Jaune shook his head and shrugged.

"I know what you meant. If I'm honest, I don't know what I saw in her. It was years ago." He thought for a moment. "Maybe it was the red hair and green eyes." He smiled, a gesture Pyrrha returned.

"Quite possibly." Her foot began to rub against his as another presence appeared at their table. They were greeted by the sight of a skinny young man with storm colored eyes and rich, chestnut colored hair. He looked from Jaune to Pyrrha, one hand holding a notepad and the other a pen.

"Evening folks, my name's Silver and I'll be your serv-" He stopped suddenly, eyes growing wide. The pen and pad in his hands clattered to the floor. "Oh my gods… You're Pyrrha Nikos!" Jaune watched as she tensed, this was definitely not something they needed after Rue. It was subtle, probably not something that would be picked up by those not familiar with her. Small shoulder adjustments, flashes of nervousness and frustration across the eyes. She clamped down a mask of professionalism, plastering on a smile fake enough for Jaune to wonder if he should check to make sure she was still real.

"Hello. Always nice to meet a fan." Silver's hands came to his mouth, covering it as he spoke.

"OhwowthisisamazingI'msuchahugefancanIgetyourautograph?!" It all came out in a jumbled mess, but the blond could make a decent guess at what he said. Pyrrha nodded and gestured to his notepad and pen on the floor. He retrieved them in an instant, his hands shaking like leaves in a hurricane. Pyrrha scribbled out something that Jaune would hesitate to call a signature. It looked more like a mass of squiggles and lines, but he wasn't going to say anything. Silver took the pad back, devolving into a fit of smiles, giggles, and hyperventilation. After several very awkward seconds, he collected himself enough to form normal, human words. "Thank you so much! You have no idea how much this means! I've been watching you fight since your first entry into the tournaments."

"I'm glad I put on a good show. Again, it's always wonderful to meet a fan." She just wanted him to leave and another server to come back out. It was a plain on her face as the green in her eyes. Jaune couldn't help but notice how her nostrils kept flaring and how rigidly she was sitting. She had all but stopped playing with his feet under the table, instead choosing to draw them back against her side. Silver looked away from the autograph and over to Jaune.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt dinner with your agent, my bad." Agent? Would an agent really show up in a half done up shirt with broken buttons? That hardly seemed professional in his eyes. He was about to ask but felt something shift in the air. Pyrrha wasn't just getting annoyed, she was getting mad. Jaune tried to diffuse the situation quickly.

"I'm not her agent, I'm her boyfriend. If we could just order our food, that'd be-" The man scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Sure you are, and I'm Spruce Willis." That did it, emeralds burst into a blazing inferno. This could end very badly, again Jaune attempted to salvage the situation. He reached across the table and took her hand, Gods she was cute when she was mad. Especially when it wasn't directed at him. His hand seemed to help, if only a little, as the blazing inferno was reduced to a house fire, the problem was better, but they were very much not out of the woods. Through gritted teeth, Pyrrha spoke.

"And what if he _is_ my boyfriend? Would that somehow be a problem?" Silver proved he wasn't as dumb as he sounded, again devolving into something not capable of human speech.

"Well, I just mean- it's just that you're- and he's- I just-" He took a step back, his hands wringing as his complexion became significantly whiter. The pen had fallen to the floor, rolling behind him. The pad soon joined its comrade. Pyrrha slid out of the booth, towering over the now significantly smaller man. His feet carried him backwards again.

"Who I date is absolutely none of your business and your comments are not only unprofessional, they're also highly disrespectful. You say you're a fan of my work. If that's true, you know how I feel about being disrespected, Silver." He made contact with his fallen equipment, stumbling back and colliding with a table. The sound of eating utensils echoed through the store.

In this moment, Jaune had two options; One was to let his girlfriend turn this civilian into a stain on the floor or Two, step in and stop her. Both had their ups and downs, one had the benefit of being cathartic and providing a show with the downside of Pyrrha losing everything from her sponsorship deals to dreams of being a Huntress to her freedom. Two meant he'd have to get in front of an angry fighting champion. Not something very high on his bucket list. His feet carried him before his mind could make a decision, and soon his hands were on her shoulders and their eyes locked. For a moment, he thought he'd be the one turned into a stain, only for the fire to subside and their normal hue to return.

"He's not worth it Pyr, defending me isn't worth throwing away your whole life." Her would be response was drowned out by someone kicking open a door.

"What the hell's going on in here!?" Out marched a middle-aged Faunus woman with an apron that said "No Roast for the Wicked". Her massive rabbit ears were twitching and bent. In her hands, she held a massive saucepan with a ladle. Her eyes scanned the room, spying Silver on the floor with Pyrrha lauding over him. "Silver, what did you do this time and why are you on the floor? And you miss, why do you look like you're going to kill him?"

"We're sorry. Your server made some less than appropriate comments and Pyrrha's having a bit of a rough night." The woman's eyes narrowed.

"Silver." If dealing with Pyrrha made him pale, he was positively ghostly now. "What. Did. You. Do." He stammered and stuttered his way through a sentence that was cut off halfway in. "Get in here. We need to discuss your employment status." Dejected, he shambled into the kitchen like a prisoner heading to the gallows. The door closed behind him and the woman stapled on a smile, her tone changing instantly.

"I'm sorry about him, folks. Naturally your meal is on us tonight. Have you ordered yet?" Jaune shook his head.

"You know what? I think we'll just get our food to go if that's alright with you?" Pyrrha nodded her head, as did the woman.

Twenty minutes later, the couple waltzed out of the restaurant with a large pizza and complimentary breadsticks. As they travelled to the park across the street, Pyrrha spoke as she finished a breadstick.

"I'm sorry for ruining our date." Jaune shook his head, shoving the last of his pineapple and ham slice into his mouth.

"You didn't ruin anything. That was all Rue and Silver." The mention of their names caused the red head to crush the breadstick in her hand. Realizing what she'd done, she sighed and slipped it into the box. "Don't worry about them, let's just find somewhere to sit down and eat, I'm starving." They settled on a bench under a sycamore tree, nestling up with the food in their laps.

Pyrrha's head found his shoulder as they munched in comfortable silence. The sun had officially set and the streetlights cast them in a pale-yellow glow. Few stars dotted the sky but those that did formed "The Brothers", two clusters of stars that sat akimbo to one another above Remnant's sky, but distance forced one into a much dimmer role. In the background, the sound of dogs barking and car horns blaring filled the night air. The end of winter breeze kept the park barren of people and Jaune in a constant state of shivering. Another bout racked his body and the blond considered slipping his arms into his shirt for defense when he felt warm cotton envelop him. He turned and was met with a smile.

"Won't you be cold without it?" She shrugged, snuggling up closer.

"I have you to keep me warm." Her lips found his cheek and they heated beneath her touch. He threw an arm over her shoulder as they finished the last of their meal. Jaune absentmindedly drew circles on her exposed arm while Pyrrha set the empty boxes on the ground to their side. The moon was continuing its journey high into the sky, its scattered pieces trailing behind like a pack of faithful dogs.

"Thank you." Jaune raised an eyebrow.

"For what?" She was quiet for a beat, their eyes still facing moon now making its way into the night sky.

"For everything. For saving me back at Beacon, for helping me recover from my injury, for being my first real friend, for being you." She moved her head, leaning up and kissing him softly. Words failed him as he leant into their kiss. Hints of garlic, cheese, and mint played at this taste buds. The moment ended nearly as soon as it began and they fell back into their default position of leaning against one another.

"I'd do it all again if I had to." She smiled and took hold of his hand.

"I know, and I'd do the same for you." A kiss for her temple and more silence. This was different though, it wasn't awkward or uncomfortable. It was nice, it felt… right. Like the planets and stars had aligned, allowing this one perfect moment to come to fruition. It seems the universe had thrown them a bone for once, they weren't going to complain.

The comfortable silence had taken hold and Jaune looked up, expecting to see "The Brothers" dominating the night sky. In keeping in turn with Jaune Arc Luck however, clouds had rolled in, enveloping the sky in total darkness. He couldn't help but laugh, and laugh he did. Slowly at first, but it grew exponentially. Pyrrha's gaze turned to the sky, trying to find out what was so funny. The girl on his arm raised her head and then an eyebrow at him. He wiped a tear from his eyes and shook his head, leaning down to kiss her again. She didn't fight it, melting into him as they fell into a rhythm as if they'd done this their entire lives. Time passed, didn't matter how much, but pass it did. The night had to come to a close at some point and they slowly broke apart. It was Pyrrha who spoke.

"We should start heading back soon." The blond sighed but nodded.

"You're right." Neither of them moved. "Ten more minutes?" She smiled and nodded. Who needed a constellation to brighten the world, he had a star of his own right beside him. The journey to Haven was sitting on the horizon. The month and a half would go quickly, like time always seemed when you wanted to hold onto it. But for now, they'd cherish this moment, one of the last peaceful ones for a long time. It would be enough, it would have to be.

-/-

"Alright, let's make sure we have everything. Map?" Ruby nodded, motioning to her backpack.

"Yep. Food?" Ren nodded.

"Check. Ammunition?" Nora gave a thumbs up.

"Locked and loaded! Water?" Pyrrha patted her pack.

"Check. Camping supplies?"

"Got it." Jaune sealed his answer with a kiss for the red head. "I think we're ready." They said their goodbyes and headed out the door. As they passed through town, Jaune felt the ghost of a pain in his hand. The scar was still there, beneath his glove, a solemn reminder of the danger they faced. The trip was probably going to be the hardest thing any of them had ever done. Completely on their own, crossing an entire continent and an ocean. Travelling through Grimm infested forests just to track down the last vestiges of a lead. Someone would call it a suicide mission, others impossible. But they had each other to watch out for and they'd be doing it all together, just like a team should.

 **A/N: I wanted to thank all of you for reading this. It was surprisingly hard to write but rewarding. I'll try to have more content soon, there's a few projects I'm working on for now that hopefully won't take the rest of my life. Until then, maybe check out some of the other stories on my page, not Destiny or the discontinued ones naturally, but the others are pretty solid. Until we meet again, may Fortune favor you all.**


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